V'. 

I*' 


iFE  AND  LETTER. 

-^      -         OF  -THE  i 

REVEREND  JOHN  PHILIP  BOEHM 

by 
Rev. Willianx  J.  Hinke  Ph.D.,D.D. 


/O  .%-6  .  f^ 


1^  PRINCETON,  N.J.  4^ 


Presented   byT?<S^.  ZJc^m&S  Crc7\uM-\or-cA 

BX  9593  .B6A3 

Boehm,  John  Philip,  1683- 

1749. 
Life  and  letters  of  the  Rev 

Tnhn  Ph i 1 i n  Roohm   fnnnHor 


REV.  JOHN  PHILIP  BOEHM 


i;oi;il  ,M>   flllKCIl,    I-IKST   STONE  STKUCTl   kl.,    i-.KlX-TKl)    1747. 

Drawing  made  by  J.  Irwin  Yost,  of  Centre  Square,  Pa.,  according  to  direct- 

tions  given   by  Jonas  Detweiler,  who  had   seen   the  original   building. 


BOEHM's   CllLKCH,    1-KKM-;.NT    BUILDING.    KKMODKLKD    189O. 


LIFE  AND  LETTERS    ^^' 


OF  THE 


REV.  JOHN  PHILIP  BOEHM 

FOUNDER  OF  THE  REFORMED  CHURCH 
IN  PENNSYLVANIA 

1683-1749 

EDITED  BY  THE 

REV.  WILLIAM  J.  HINKE,  PH.  D.,  D.  D. 


PROFESSOR  OF  SEMITIC  LANGUAGES  AND  RELIGIONS  IN  AUBURN 
THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


PUBLICATION  AND  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  BOARD  OF  THE 

REFORMED  CHURCH  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES 

1916 


Copyright.  1916 

BY 

Rev.  William  J.  Hinke.  Ph.  D..  D.  D. 


PRBSS  OF  BERGBR   BROTHERS 
PHILADELPHIA 


To 

THE  REV.  PROF.  JAMES  I.  GOOD,  D.D.,  LL.D., 

My  Esteemed  Teacher,  Coli^eague  and  Friend, 

Who  first  kindled  in  me  the  love  for  church  history,  and  through 

whose  liberality  the  historical  records  of  the  Reformed  Church 

of  this  country,  preserved  in  Holland,  were  made  accessible, 

this  volume  is  gratefully  dedicated. 


PREFACE 


Most  of  the  letters  and  reports,  contained  in  this  vokime, 
were  sent  by  the  Rev.  John  Philip  Boehm,  the  founder  of  the 
Reformed  Church  in  Pennsylvania,  to  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam 
and  the  Synods  of  North  and  South  Holland.  It  was  the 
earliest  of  these  letters  that  first  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
Reformed  Church  of  Holland  to  the  German  Reformed  settlers 
in  the  Colony  of  Pennsylvania.  The  letters  cover  a  period  of 
twenty  years.  The  first  of  them  was  written  in  1728,  the  last 
in  1748.  They  are  twenty-five  in  number,  many  of  which  are 
lengthy  and  elaborate.  They  throw  a  flood  of  light  upon  the 
founding  of  the  earliest  Reformed  congregations.  Of  the  more 
than  sixty  Reformed  congregations  in  the  colony  in  1750,  refer- 
ence is  made  by  Boehm  to  twenty-four,  thirteen  of  which  he 
served  for  longer  or  shorter  periods,  and  of  twelve  of  which 
he  may  be  regarded  as  the  founder.  They  also  contain  refer- 
ences to  many  of  the  itinerant  preachers  and  school  teachers 
of  that  early  period,  besides,  the  names  of  a  large  number  of 
elders,  deacons  and  influential  laymen.  In  addition,  the  collec- 
tion, published  in  this  volume,  contains  also  the  letters  sent  to 
Boehm  from  Holland,  by  the  Classis  as  well  as  the  Synods. 

It  was  mainly  upon  the  urgent  appeals  of  these  letters  from 
Boehm  that  the  Reformed  Church  of  Holland  in  1746  commis- 
sioned the  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter,  to  go  to  Pennsylvania  to 
organize  the  scattered  congregations  and  ministers  into  a  Coetus 
or  Convention.  This  was  accomplished  with  the  aid  of  Boehm ; 
and,  on  September  29,  1747,  four  ministers  and  twenty-eight 
elders,  the  latter  representing  twenty  congregations,  met  in 
Philadelphia  and  organized  the  Coetus  of  the  Reformed  Con- 
gregations of  Pennsylvania.  For  forty-five  years  (1747-1792) 
the  Coetus  of  Pennsylvania  stood  in  filial  relation  to  the  Church 
of  Holland,  being  one  of  the  many  mission  fields  of  that  great 
missionary  church.    It  transmitted  to  the  parent  body  copies  of 


viii  PREFACE 

its  minutes,  letters  and  reports,  setting  forth  the  condition  and 
needs  of  the  congregations  in  the  province. 

The  correspondence  from  the  Churches  in  Pennsylvania 
has  been  carefully  preserved  in  the  archives  of  the  Reformed 
Church  of  Holland,  in  the  Classical  archives  at  Amsterdam 
and  in  the  Synodical  archives  at  The  Hague.  There  it  was  care- 
fully treasured,  unknown  however  to  the  American  churches, 
till  in  July,  1895,  the  Rev.  Dr.  James  I.  Good  visited  Amster- 
dam, where  he  found  and  had  copies  made  of  a  portfolio  of 
Pennsylvania  letters,  in  the  archives  of  the  Classis.  In  January, 
1896,  the  late  Henry  S.  Dotterer,  having  gone  abroad  in  search 
for  data  for  the  "Perkiomen  Region",  a  magazine  devoted  to 
the  history  of  the  Perkiomen  valley,  of  which  publication  he 
was  the  editor,  discovered  the  second  great  depository  of  Penn- 
sylvania documents,  the  archives  of  the  General  Synod  of  the 
Reformed  Church  of  Holland,  at  The  Hague.  Mr.  Dotterer 
spent  nearly  two  months  at  The  Hague,  making  extracts  which 
he  published  in  his  magazine,  and  later  in  that  delightful,  but 
now  very  rare  publication,  "Historical  Notes  Relating  to  the 
Pennsylvania  Reformed  Church."  Mr.  Dotterer  called  the 
attention  of  Dr.  Good,  who  had  spent  a  number  of  summers 
in  Europe  in  search  of  materials  for  the  history  of  the  Reformed 
Church  in  the  United  States,  to  this  collection  of  Pennsylvania 
manuscripts.  Dr.  Good  visited  The  Hague  in  the  summer  of 
1896,  and  to  his  great  joy  discovered  that  there,  in  the  archives 
of  the  General  Synod,  had  been  preserved  many  of  the  minutes 
of  the  Coetus,  together  with  a  large  number  of  the  letters  and 
reports  from  the  Churches  in  Pennsylvania.  The  next  summer 
he  sent  Prof.  W.  J.  Hinke,  Ph.D.,  D.D.,  to  The  Hague  to 
copy  them.  The  task  was  not  an  easy  one,  nor  was  one  summer 
sufficient  time  for  the  work.  Not  only  did  Doctors  Good  and 
Hinke  copy  and  photograph  all  that  was  available  at  The 
Hague  and  at  Amsterdam,  but  Dr.  Hinke  also  visited  the 
Reformed  centers  in  Germany  and  Switzerland,  in  search  for 
data  relating  to  the  churches  in  Pennsylvania  and  the  ministers, 
who  left  the  fatherland  to  serve  them.  This  prodigious,  self- 
imposed,  task  was  completed  in  1898;  and  its  fruits  are  con- 
tained in  upwards  of  four  thousand  pages  of  manuscript  and 
one  thousand  photographs,  which  were  brought  to  this  country, 
and  by  which  the  history  of  our  church  has  been  remarkably 


PREFACE  ix 

enriched.  The  expenditure  involved,  in  copying  and  translating 
these  documents,  which  was  upwards  of  four  thousand  dollars, 
was  most  generously  borne  by  Dr.  Good.  To  him  the  church 
owes  a  lasting  debt  of  gratitude,  and  Dr.  Hinke,  the  editor  of 
this  work,  has  fittingly  dedicated  it  to  him. 

In  1903,  the  Eastern  Synod  published  the  Coetal  Minutes, 
prefaced  by  three  of  the  letters  of  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm.  They 
immediately  attracted  widespread  attention  and  stimulated  his- 
torical efforts  within  the  church,  by  furnishing  the  documents 
necessary  for  the  study  of  the  Coetal  period.  But  the  pre-coetal 
period  (1725-1747),  the  period  of  the  founding  of  the  congre- 
gations, remained  practically  untouched. 

The  happy  custom  of  many  of  the  early  congregations  of 
celebrating  anniversaries,  of  erecting  markers  and  placing  tab- 
lets upon  the  walls  of  churches,  together  with  the  approaching 
bi-centenary  of  the  founding  of  the  church  in  Pennsylvania, 
began  to  call  more  strongly  than  ever  before  for  definite  data 
and  reliable  information,  relative  to  the  origin  of  the  congre- 
gations and  the  labors  of  the  early  pastors.  In  answer  to  this 
increasing  call  for  more  definite  and  accurate  information  con- 
cerning the  earlier  period  in  the  history  of  our  church.  Dr. 
Hinke  began  to  translate  and  to  edit  the  letters  and  reports  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Boehm  and  to  publish  them  in  "The  Journal  of  the 
Presbyterian  "Historical  Society."  The  first  installment  ap- 
peared in  the  December  number  of  1902  of  that  journal.  The 
timeliness  and  importance  of  this  work  of  Dr.  Hinke  was 
immediately  recognized  both  within  and  without  the  church. 
Hence,  the  Classis  of  East  Pennsylvania,  at  its  annual  session 
at  Easton,  May  25-28,  1914,  overtured  the  Eastern  Synod  to 
publish  these  letters  and  reports  in  a  memorial  volume.  The 
Synod,  at  its  meeting  in  Allentown,  October,  1914,  approved 
the  overture  and  appointed  Rev.  John  B.  Stoudt,  Rev.  James  I. 
Good,  D.D.,  Rev.  James  A.  Boehm,  B.  F.  Fackenthal,  Jr.,  Sc.D., 
and  S.  P.  Heilman,  M.D.,  a  committee  to  co-operate  with  the 
Publication  and  Sunday  School  Board  in  this  work,  and  to 
solicit  advance  subscriptions.  At  the  subsequent  meeting  of 
the  Synod  in  Philadelphia,  the  committee  reported ;  that  it  had 
obtained  the  consent  of  Dr.  Hinke  to  edit  the  letters  and  reports 
of  Mr.  Boehm  and  to  add  an  account  of  his  life  and  services  in 
the  church ;  and  that  they  had  succeeded  in  procuring  a  number 


X  PREFACE 

of  advance  subscriptions  and  several  gifts  towards  the  work. 
The  Synod  accordingly  endorsed  the  publication  of  the  work 
and  continued  the  committee. 

This  volume  is  made  uniform  with  "The  Minutes  of  the 
Coetus",  its  companion.  The  two  together  contain  the  docu- 
ments necessary  for  the  study  of  the  history  of  the  Reformed 
Church  in  Pennsylvania  during  the  colonial  period.  Not  of 
least  importance  are  the  many  interesting  and  valuable  annota- 
tions by  the  editor,  which  illuminate  not  only  many  of  the 
otherwise  obscure  statements  or  references,  but  contain  also 
much  additional  information  relative  to  the  early  congregations, 
ministers,  school  teachers,  elders,  deacons,  and  the  other  de- 
nominations and  sects,  some  of  which  are  now  extinct,  but 
flourished  during  the  period  of  Mr.  Boehm's  ministry.  Thus, 
in  addition  to  setting  forth  the  life  and  labors  of  the  founder 
of  the  Reformed  Church  in  Pennsylvania,  this  work  becomes  a 
general  contribution  to  the  colonial  history^  of  the  great  Key- 
stone State.  Another  valuable  feature  of  the  work  is  the  map, 
which  shows  the  location  of  all  the  Reformed  congregations  in 
Pennsylvania,  founded  before  the  year  1750,  and  the  list  of 
congregations  acconipanA-ing  it,  which  gives,  as  far  as  possible, 
documentary  evidence  for  the  dates  of  the  founding  of  the 
congregations  and  of  the  building  of  the  first  churches.  From 
this  list  it  appears  that  a  much  larger  number  of  Reformed 
churches  was  in  existence  in  1750,  than  was  formerly  realized. 

The  committee  on  behalf  of  the  Synod  acknowledges  its 
obligations  to  the  advance  subscribers  and  the  special  donors, 
whose  subscriptions  and  gifts  made  the  publication  of  this 
volume  possible ;  also  to  Dr.  Hinke  for  his  unselfish  service  in 
translating  and  editing  these  letters  and  reports  and  in  prefac- 
ing them  with  a  biography  of  Mr.  Boehm,  setting  forth  his 
labors  in  a  manner  in  keeping  with  the  important  services 
which  he  rendered  to  the  Church  and  the  Colony. 

That  this  story  of  faithfulness  and  devotion  in  the  labor  of 
planting  the  vineyard  of  the  Master  in  this  country,  may  inspire 
others  to  equal  and  perhaps  still  greater  faithfulness  and  devo- 
tion in  the  labor  of  watering,  is  the  hope  and  prayer  of  the 
Committee. 

John  Baer  Stoudt. 
Chairman  of  the  Committee  of  Synod. 


INTRODUCTION 


The  publication  of  this  volume  is  not  the  first  evidence 
which  the  old  Mother  Synod  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the 
United  States  has  given  of  her  interest  in  the  preservation  of 
her  history.  As  early  as  1817,  the  president  of  Synod,  Rev. 
Wm.  Hendel,  Sr.,  proposed  that  an  investigation  be  made  into 
the  origin  and  growth  of  Synod,  and  that  a  historical  statement 
regarding  it  be  printed.  As  a  result,  Synod  appointed  the  presi- 
dent, the  clerk,  John  Henry  Hoffmeier  and  Caspar  Wack,  Sr., 
a  committee  to  prepare  such  a  sketch,  print  it  and  sell  5000 
copies  of  it  (Minutes,  1817,  p.  12).  A  member  of  the  commit- 
tee (no  doubt  the  chairman,  Mr.  Hendel,  Sr.),  then  remem- 
bered that  he  had  in  his  possession  a  copy  of  Michael  Schlat- 
ter's Diary  in  Dutch,  which  had  been  published  by  the  Classis 
of  Amsterdam  in  175 1.  Of  this  document  the  committee  gave 
a  short  summary,  covering  six  and  a  half  pages,  which  was 
printed  as  an  appendix  to  the  minutes  of  1817  (pp.  14-20)  and 
3000  separate  copies  were  issued,  because,  as  the  committee 
reported  in  the  following  year,  "there  was  no  evidence  of  a 
desire  for  a  larger  number".     (Minutes,  1818,  p.  7.) 

At  the  same  meeting  of '  Synod  at  York,  in  September, 
181 7,  it  was  resolved  to  deposit  the  letters  and  other  docu- 
ments of  Synod  in  the  archives  of  the  Reformed  congregation 
at  Lancaster,  "where  several  are  already  kept",  and  to  ask 
the  pastor,  Mr.  Hofifmeier,  then  clerk  of  Synod,  to  entrust 
them  to  his  consistory,  with  instructions  not  to  hand  over  any 
of  them,  without  the  express  order  of  the  Synod  (Minutes, 
1817,  p.  lof). 

The  archives  of  Synod  remained  in  Lancaster  till  1833, 
when  Synod  resolved  to  remove  them  to  York  and  to  deposit 
nil  the  Synodical  papers  there  (Minutes,  1833,  p.  12).  In  the 
following  year,  the  parsonage  of  the  Reformed  congregation 


xii  INTRODUCTION 

at  York  was  designated  as  the  depository  of  the  archives  and 
the  pastor  of  that  church  as  its  custodian  (Minutes,  1834, 
p.  13).  In  1836,  the  committee  entrusted  with  the  removal  of 
the  archives,  reported  that  they  had  carried  out  in  part  their 
instructions  and  had  deposited  at  York  all  the  documents  of 
Synod,  extending  back  as  far  as  the  year  182 1,  but  that  there 
were  other  documents  at  Lancaster,  in  "Low  Dutch",  which 
they  were  unable  to  read  and  of  which  they  did  not  know 
whether  they  belonged  to  Synod  or  to  the  congregation  (r^Iin- 
utes,  1836,  p.  8f).  In  1838,  when  Synod  met  at  Lancaster,  a 
committee,  consisting  of  Dr.  Willers,  ^I.  Bruner  and  H.  Dor- 
wert,  were  appointed  to  examine  the  papers  in  the  "Low  Dutch 
language",  still  remaining  in  the  archives  of  the  congregation 
at  Lancaster.  Later  in  the  sessions,  the  committee  asked  for 
more  time  to  examine  these  documents  (Minutes,  1838,  pp. 
12,  54).  In  the  following  year.  Dr.  Willers  reported  at  length 
about  nine  of  these  Dutch  letters,  which  had  been  written  from 
Holland  to  the  Coetus  of  Pennsylvania  between  the  years  1775- 
1786.  His  recommendation  to  print  seven  of  them  as  a  part 
of  the  Synodical  minutes  was  adopted  (^linutes  1839,  pp. 
77-80).  But,  when  in  the  following  year  objection  was  made 
by  Zion's  Classis  to  this  plan,  they  were  ordered  to  be  printed 
in  pamphlet  form  and  the  expense  of  the  publication  to  be 
covered  by  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  the  work  (Minutes, 
1840,  pp.  20,  65-66).  They  appeared  in  1841,  printed  by  the 
Publication  Office  of  the  Reformed  Church  at  Chambersburg, 
under  the  title:  "Letters  from  Holland  connected  with  the 
first  Organization  of  the  German  Reformed  Church  in  the 
United  States".  This,  now  exceedingly  rare,  little  pamphlet 
constitutes  the  first  eflFort  of  Synod  to  make  its  historical 
documents  accessible  to  its  members.  It  contained  seven  letters, 
written  in  answer  to  the  Coetus  Minutes.  The  originals  are 
at  present  preserved  in  the  Harbaugh  Collection  of  Mss. 

On  September  29,  1839,  while  Synod  was  in  session  in 
the  Reformed  Church  at  Philadelphia, 'that  congregation  cele- 
brated the  centennial  anniversary  of  its  organization.  Its  pas- 
tor, the  Rev.  Joseph  F.  Berg,  preached  a  "centenary  sermon" 
from  Proverbs  22:28,  on  the  subject  "The  Ancient  Land- 
mark". In  this  sermon  he  informed  his  hearers  that  "the  first 
building,  in  which  our  forefathers  worshipped  in  this  city,  was 


INTRODUCTION  xiii 

completed  A.  D.  1739".  He  also  regarded  it  as  peculiarly  ap- 
propriate that  this  centennial  anniversary  of  the  church  should 
be  commemorated  whilst  Synod  was  meeting  with  them,  be- 
cause it  might  in  some  measure  be  regarded  "as  the  centenary 
anniversary  of  our  existence  as  a  denomination  in  this  country". 
We  now  know  that  Dr.  Berg  was  entirely  mistaken  in  his 
interpretation  of  the  congregational  records,  for  no  church  had 
been  begun  in  1739,  and  hence  no  church  could  have  been 
completed  in  that  year.  Of  this,  however,  he  and  his  con- 
temporaries were  in  blissful  ignorance.  But  his  celebration  in 
1839,  and  the  booklet  he  published  in  1840  regarding  it,  induced 
Maryland  Classis  in  1840  to  overture  Synod,  "whereas  it  is 
about  one  hundred  years  since  our  Church  commenced  its 
existence  in  this  country,  and  whereas,  it  must  be  regarded 
both  as  proper  and  important  that  a  centenary  celebration 
should  be  observed  throughout  the  churches",  that  Synod  be 
requested  to  resolve  upon  the  observance  of  such  a  centenary 
celebration  (Minutes,  1840,  p.  20).  In  answer  to  this  request. 
Synod  appointed  the  year  1841  to  be  observed  by  a  centenary 
celebration  and  ordered  that  the  celebration  close  on  the  25th 
of  December  of  that  year  with  a  solemn  festival  of  thanks, 
and  further  that  united  efforts  be  put  forth  to  raise  at  least 
$100,000  for  the  Institutions  of  the  Church  (Minutes,  1840, 
p.  72).  At  the  same  time  a  "Circular  to  the  Ministers,  Con- 
sistories and  Members  of  the  German  Reformed  Church", 
was  prepared,  printed  in  the  minutes  (pp.  75-82),  also  in  the 
church  papers  and  as  separate  pamphlets,  which  were  ordered 
to  be  read  from  all  the  pulpits.  As  a  result,  numerous  congre- 
gations observed  the  "Centenary  Anniversary",  but  the  hopes  of 
gathering  a  large  centenary  fund  for  the  institutions  of  the 
church  were  not  realized  (Minutes,  1842,  p.  7off). 

At  the  meeting  of  Synod  in  1841,  Susquehanna  Classis 
requested  Synod  to  publish  a  short  history  of  the  German 
Reformed  Church  (German  Minutes,  1841,  p.  17).  But,  in 
the  following  year  the  request  of  East  Pennsylvania  Classis 
was  granted  to  postpone  the  publication  of  this  history,  "until 
more  satisfactory  facts  have  been  procured"  (Minutes,  1842, 
p.  11). 

At  the  Synod  of  1842,  the  delegates  to  the  Synod  of  the 
Dutch  Reformed  Church  were  instructed,  "respectfully  to  ask 


xiv  INTRODUCTION 

that  body,  the  use  of  the  documents  recently  received  by  them 
from  Holland,  so  far  as  they  may  be  calculated  to  throw  light 
upon  the  early  history  of  the  German  Reformed  Church  in  this 
country"  (Minutes,  1842,  p.  19).  These  were  the  documents 
from  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  brought  to  America  by  the 
Hon.  J.  R.  Brodhead  (See  Coetus  Minutes,  p.  XIV).  As  the 
delegates  failed  to  attend  to  this  duty,  a  special  committee  was 
appointed  in  1843,  to  secure  the  use  of  these  documents  (Min- 
utes, 1843,  P-  27).  This  committee  reported  in  1844  that  they 
were  informed  that  "these  documents  had  been  in  possession 
of  the  Rev.  Lewis  Mayer,  D.D.,  of  York,  Pa.,  who  is  engaged 
in  preparing  a  history  of  the  German  Reformed  Church,  and 
they  consequently  felt  that  further  action  on  their  part  in 
relation  to  these  documents  was  precluded"  (Minutes,  1844, 
p.  13).  The  committee  was,  however,  continued  to  carry  out 
its  original  instructions.  In  1845,  it  reported  that  the  original 
documents  had  been  returned  by  Dr.  Alayer  to  their  owners, 
but  that  copies  were  in  his  possession,  "which  throw  much 
light  on  the  early  history  of  the  German  Reformed  Church  in 
this  country"  (Minutes,  1845,  p.  135). 

In  1846,  the  first  printed  history  of  the  German  Reformed 
Church  in  the  United  States  appeared,  not  however,  in  America, 
but  in  Germany.  The  Rev.  Dr.  J.  G.  Buettner,  who  in  1838 
and  1839  had  been  professor  in  the  Theological  Seminary  of 
the  Synod  of  Ohio,  at  Canton,  Ohio,  and  who  had  returned  to 
Germany  in  1840,  published  in  1846,  at  Schleiz,  Germany,  a 
small  book  of  154  pages,  entitled:  "Die  Hochdeutsche  Re- 
formirte  Kirche  in  den  Vereinigten  Staaten  von  Nord  Amerika, 
von  ihrer  Griindung  bis  auf  die  neueste  Zeit".  It  is  a  mere 
sketch,  the  early  history  of  the  Coetus  being  covered  on  nine 
pages.  The  later  history,  however,  from  1826-1841,  is  fairly 
complete. 

In  the  same  year,  1846,  Synod  appointed  a  new  committee, 
in  answer  to  an  overture  of  Maryland  Classis,  "to  make  ar- 
rangements to  secure  certain  documents  from  Holland,  in  the 
hands  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Mayer"  (Minutes,  1846,  p.  70).  They 
reported,  in  the  following  year,  that  Dr.  Mayer  was  using 
these  documents  for  a  history  of  the  German  Reformed  Church 
in  America,  upon  which  he  was  engaged  and  that  he  was,  for 
that  reason,  not  prepared  to  make  a  transfer  of  them  to  other 


INTRODUCTION  xv 

hands.  He  had,  however,  expressed  the  expectation,  that  they 
would  eventually  become  the  property  of  Synod  (Minutes, 
1847,  p.  89). 

At  the  meeting  of  Synod  in  October,  1849,  ^t  Norristown, 
Rev.  Elias  Heiner  called  the  attention  of  Synod  to  the  fact 
that  Dr.  Mayer  had  died  at  York  August  25,  1849.  Whereupon 
a  committee  was  appointed,  with  Dr.  Heiner  as  chairman,  to 
express  the  feelings  of  Synod  with  regard  to  his  decease.  In 
the  minute,  prepared  by  the  committee,  the  suggestion  was 
made,  "to  confer  with  the  family  of  the  deceased  on  the  sub- 
ject of  the  Dr.'s  papers  generally,  but  especially  on  the  subject 
of  his  History  of  the  Reformed  Church"  (Minutes,  1849, 
p.  88).  A  new  committee  was  entrusted  with  this  task.  It 
reported  in  the  following  year,  that  they  had  examined  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Mayer's  Manuscript  History  of  the  German  Reformed 
Church  and  they  found  that  "the  first  volume,  embracing  the 
history  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  Switzerland  and  Germany, 
and  which  will  probably  make,  if  published  some  five  or  six 
hundred  octavo  pages,  is  ready  for  the  press.  The  second 
volume,  designed  to  embrace  the  history  of  the  Reformed 
Church  in  this  country,  is  incomplete.  Most  of  the  necessary 
materials  are  collected  and  its  history  down  to  the  year  1756, 
is  partly  written  out.  Great  labor  and  much  time  have  been 
expended  on  this  important  work,  and  it  is  deeply  to  be  re- 
gretted that  Dr.  Mayer  was  not  spared  to  complete  it  with  his 
own  hand.  As  it  is,  your  committee  recommend  the  publica- 
tion of  the  first  volume,  and  suggest  the  expediency  of  having 
the  second  volume  completed  by  another  hand"  (Minutes,  1850, 
p.  yS).  At  the  Synod  of  185 1,  four  copies  of  Dr.  Mayer's 
History  of  the  German  Reformed  Church  were  presented  by 
Dr.  Elias  Heiner  (Minutes,  1852,  p.  99).  The  book  had  been 
published  by  Lippincott,  Grambo  and  Co.,  as  a  stately  octavo 
volume  of  461  pages,  under  the  title:  "The  History  of  the 
German  Reformed  Church  by  Rev.  Lewis  Mayer,  D.D.,  Vol- 
ume I".  A  life  of  Dr.  Mayer,  written  by  Dr.  Elias  Heiner, 
formed  the  introduction  to  it.  In  the  preface  (p.  XV)  it  is 
stated  that  of  the  second  volume  "perhaps  three  hundred  pages" 
had  been  written  out,  bringing  the  history  down  to  the  year 
1770. 

In  1854,  Synod  appointed  a  committee  of  five  members  to 


xvi  INTRODUCTION 

endeavor  to  secure  from  the  heirs  of  the  late  Rev.  Dr.  Mayer 
"the  important  papers  relating  to  the  history  of  the  German 
Reformed  Church  in  this  country"  (Minutes,  1854,  p.  71). 
After  several  years  of  negotiations,  the  committee  reported  in 
1856,  that  they  had  "secured  the  said  documents  consisting  of 
the  manuscript  volumes,  transcribed  with  great  labor  and  care, 
from  original  sources,  by  Dr.  Mayer,  together  with  original 
letters,  copies  of  minutes  of  Coetus,  etc.  On  condition  that  the 
remaining  copies  of  Volume  I,  of  Mayer's  History  be  sold, 
and  the  volume  of  manuscript  history,  be  published  in  a  given 
time  the  heirs  of  Dr.  Mayer  donated  these  manuscript  volumes, 
papers,  letters,  etc.,  to  Synod,  through  its  committee  for  its 
archives  as  the  last  legacy  of  their  beloved  father"  (Minutes, 
1856,  p.  90).  The  Mayer  Mss.  are  preserved  in  the  librarv^  of 
the  Theological  Seminars-  of  the  Reformed  Church  at  Lancaster, 
but  the  second  volume  of  Dr.  Mayer's  History  was  never  pub- 
lished.   Even  the  Ms.  itself  seems  to  have  been  lost  or  mislaid. 

On  the  basis  of  the  Coetus  IMinutes  and  other  original 
documents  which  had  thus  passed  into  the  possession  of  Synod, 
Dr.  Harbaugh  pubhshed  in  1857  his  excellent  "Life  of  Rev. 
Michael  Schlatter"  and  two  volumes  of  "The  Fathers  of  the 
German  Reformed  Church  in  Europe  and  America." 

No  general  and  connected  history  of  the  Reformed  Church 
was,  however  attempted  till  1885.  The  story  of  its  composi- 
tion carries  us  back  till  1875,  when  Eastern  Synod  overtured 
the  General  Synod  to  observe  "the  approaching  National  Cen- 
tennial Celebration,  in  A.  D.  1876".  In  response  to  this  over- 
ture a  special  committee  was  appointed  which  recommended 
that  "a  record  of  the  historical  origin  of  the  Reformed  Church 
be  prepared,  together  with  a  statement  of  her  doctrine  and  gov- 
ernment" (General  Synod  Minutes,  1875,  pp.  68-70).  After  a 
delay  of  several  years  and  repeated  requests  from  Classes  that 
this  recommendation  be  carried  out,  the  General  Synod  of  1881 
appointed  the  Rev.  Joseph  H.  Dubbs,D.D.,  to  prepare  a  "Manual 
of  the  origin,  history,  doctrines,  government  and  customs  of 
the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States"  (General  Synod 
Minutes,  1881,  p.  161).  In  obedience  to  this  request,  Dr. 
Dubbs  published  in  1885  at  Lancaster  the  "Historic  Manual  of 
the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States",  in  which  he  gave 
for  the  first  time  a  readable  and  interesting  account  of  the 


INTRODUCTION  xvii 

history  of  the  church,  having  made  good  use  of  the  original 
documents  at  his  disposal.  Later  researches  enabled  Dr.  Dubbs 
to  correct,  enlarge  and  complete  this  record  in  the  "History  of 
the  Reformed  Church,  German",  which  he  contributed  in  1895 
to  the  "American  Church  History  Series",  edited  by  Dr.  Philip 
Schaff,  Vol.  Vni,  pp.  213-423.  He  prefaced  this  contribu- 
tion by  the  first  useful,  though  brief,  bibliography  of  German 
Reformed  publications  in  this  country. 

At  its  meeting  in  October,  1895,  at  Shamokin,  Eastern 
Synod  resolved  on  final  adjournment,  "to  meet  in  150th  ses- 
sions on  Wednesday,  October  7,  1896,  and  to  devote  a  portion 
of  its  time  to  the  Sesqui-Centennial  Celebration  of  said  event, 
that  also  in  connection  therewith  the  50th  Anniversary  of  the 
adoption  of  the  Constitution  be  observed  at  the  services  ap- 
pointed by  the  committee"  (Minutes,  1895,  P-  84).  In  com- 
pHance  with  this  resolution  the  committee  appointed  for  this 
purpose  prepared  a  Sesqui-Centennial  program,  which  was  car- 
ried out  during  the  sessions  of  Synod  at  Bethlehem,  October 
7-1 1,  1896.  The  historical  addresses  and  sermons,  delivered  on 
this  occasion,  were  published  in  a  small  pamphlet,  under  the 
title :  "Addresses  delivered  on  the  Occasion  of  the  One  Hun- 
dred and  Fiftieth  Anniversary  of  the  Founding  of  the  Eastern 
Synod  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States",  pp.  131. 

Similar  Sesqui-Centennial  services  were  held  by  Potomac 
Synod.  The  memorial  addresses  then  delivered,  were  published 
by  Daniel  Miller,  at  Reading,  in  1900,  entitled:  "Michael 
Schlatter  Memorial  Addresses  at  the  Sesqui-Centennial  Serv- 
ices, held  in  Hagerstown,  Md.,  by  the  Synod  of  the  Potomac, 
October  20,  A.  D.  1897,  in  honor  of  the  Pioneer  Organizer  of 
the  Reformed  Churches  in  America",  pp.  61.  The  example 
thus  set  by  the  Synods  was  followed  by  many  Classes  and  indi- 
vidual congregations.  Some  of  these  Sesqui-Centennial  Ad- 
dresses were  published,  as  e.  g.,  the  "Sesqui-Centennial  Services 
of  the  Evangelical  Reformed  Church,  Frederick,  Maryland, 
May  9,  14,  and  16,  1897,  Rev.  E.  R.  Eschbach,  D.D.,  Pastor", 
Frederick,  1897,  pp.  91.  Among  other  books  and  pamphlets, 
called  forth  by  the  Sesqui-Centennial  Celebration,  may  be  men- 
tioned:  "The  Early  Fathers  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the 
United  States",  by  Rev.  James  I.  Good.  D.D.,  Reading,  Daniel 
Miller,  Publisher  (1897),  pp.  75,  and  "The  Historical  Hand 


xviii  INTRODUCTION 

Book  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States",  by  Rev. 
James  I.  Good,  D.D.,  Philadelphia,  Reformed  Church  Publica- 
tion Board,  1897,  pp.  95,  the  latter  being  a  brief  sketch  for 
the  use  of  young  people's  societies. 

In  all  these  publications  use  had  been  made  almost  exclu- 
sively of  the  well-known  documents  and  sources,  gathered  with 
much  labor  and  zeal  by  Drs.  Mayer  and  Harbaugh.  No 
further  progress  was  possible  unless  new  manuscript  material 
be  made  accessible.  This  was  accomplished  by  the  Rev.  Dr. 
James  I.  Good,  who,  in  July,  1895,  had  a  portfolio  of  Penn- 
sylvania papers,  preserved  in  the  Classical  archives  at  Amster- 
dam, copied.  Still  more  documents  were  found  by  the  late  Mr. 
Dotterer  at  The  Hague,  in  January  1896,  w^hich  were  copied 
and  photographed  in  full  during  the  next  three  summers  by 
Dr.  Good  and  the  writer.  The  results  of  these  new  finds  were 
presented  by  Dr.  Good  in  his  "History  of  the  Reformed  Church 
in  the  United  States,  1725-1792",  Reading,  Daniel  Miller,  Pub- 
lisher, 1899,  pp.  701.  Other  writers  also  made  use  of  this 
new  material.  Dr.  Dubbs  embodied  the  new  finds  in  his  inter- 
esting and  beautifully  illustrated  book  (published  by  the  Penn- 
sylvania-German Society),  "The  Reformed  Church  in  Penn- 
sylvania", Lancaster,  1902,  to  which  the  writer  contributed  an 
extensive  bibliography  (pp.  341-380).  Many  local  histories, 
monographs  and  sketches,  which  have  appeared  since  1900, 
have  profited  by  the  new  documents,  as  e.  g.,  the  "Early  His- 
tory of  the  Reformed  Church  in  Pennsylvania",  by  Daniel 
Miller,  Reading,  1906,  pp.  280. 

The  publication  of  the  new  manuscripts  thus  brought  to 
light  was  undertaken  by  Eastern  Synod  in  1901,  when  a  com- 
mittee was  appointed  to  superintend  the  publication  of  the 
most  important  of  these  documents,  the  Coetus  Minutes.  This 
volume  was  brought  out  in  1903.  under  the  title:  "Minutes 
and  Letters  of  the  Coetus  of  the  German  Reformed  Congrega- 
tions in  Pennsylvania,  1747- 1792,  together  with  three  prelim- 
inary reports  of  Rev.  John  Philip  Boehm,  1 734-1 744",  Re- 
formed Church  Publication  Board,  Philadelphia,  1903,  pp.  463- 
To  this  book  the  present  volume  forms  a  fitting  sequel  and 
complement,  because  it  covers  fully  the  earliest  period  before 
the  organization  of  the  Coetus  of  Pennsylvania  in  1747. 

The  manuscript  material,  which  has  been  made  use  of  in 


INTRODUCTION  xix 

the  Life  of  Boehm,  has  been  gathered  from  many  different 
sources. 

Regarding  the  career  of  Boehm's  father,  Rev.  Philip  Lewis 
Boehm,  numerous  documents  were  secured  from  the  Royal 
State  Archives  at  Marburg.  They  are  chiefly  extracts  from 
the  protocols  of  the  Reformed  Consistory  of  Hanau.  In  addi- 
tion, the  records  of  the  Latin  school  at  Hanau  were  consulted. 

Regarding  Boehm's  life  in  Europe,  the  city  archives  of 
Worms  furnished  most  of  the  material.  Copies  of  no  less  than 
thirty-two  separate  documents  were  secured  from  Worms  and 
three,  documents  from  the  town  archives  of  Lambsheim.  Be- 
sides, the  church  records  of  Reformed  congregations  at  Worms, 
Hanau,  Wachenbuchen  and  Hochstadt  were  examined  and 
extracts,  touching  the  family  of  Boehm,  were  made. 

Similar  investigations  were  made  by  the  writer  into  the 
antecedents  of  the  other  early  Reformed  ministers,  who  were 
contemporaries  of  Boehm.  The  matriculation  books  of  the  fol- 
lowing universities  were  consulted :  those  of  Leyden  and  Utrecht 
in  Holland,  of  Duisburg,  Marburg,  Herborn  and  Heidelberg  in 
Germany  and  of  Basel  in  Switzerland.  Moreover,  Reformed 
church  records  were  explored,  those  at  Heidelberg  and  Wein- 
heim  for  Tempelman  and  Bartholomaeus,  at  Eppingen  for 
Weiss,  at  Oberingelheim  for  Rieger,  at  Zurich  for  Goetschy 
and  Wirtz,  at  St.  Gall  for  Schlatter  and  Hochreutner,  at  Berne 
for  Guldin  and  at  Muelhausen  for  Lischy.  Through  corre- 
spondence, additional  information  was  secured  at  Moers  regard- 
ing the  family  of  Dorsius,  at  Alsenborn,  regarding  the  family 
of  Peter  Miller  and  at  Zurich  regarding  John  Henry  Goetschy. 

Boehm's  life  and  activity  in  Pennsylvania  is  based  almost 
entirely  upon  his  own  letters  and  pamphlets,  as  published  in 
this  volume,  and  upon  the  church  records  of  the  congregations 
which  he  founded.  Finally,  the  county  records  at  Philadelphia, 
in  the  recorder  of  deeds  and  the  register  of  wills  offices,  fur- 
nished information  regarding  the  extent  and  disposition  of  his 
property. 

The  correspondence  of  Mr.  Boehm  has  been  derived  from 
five  different  sources.  The  earliest  letters,  of  the  years  1728- 
1730,  referring  to  the  ordination  of  Boehm,  were  taken  from  a 
record  book  of  the  Collegiate  Reformed  Church  at  New  York. 
Most  of  the  later  letters  and  reports  (14  in  all,  namely,  Nos. 


XX  INTRODUCTION 

10,  II,  12,  13,  23,  25,  26,  28,  29,  30,  32,  40,  44,  45)  were  copied 
from  the  Pennsylvania  Portfolio,  in  the  archives  of  the  Classis 
of  Amsterdam,  fourteen  letters  addressed  to  Boehm  or  to  his 
congregations  by  the  Classis  (namely,  Nos.  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  14,  15, 
16,  17,  18,  24,  27,  33,  47)  were  taken  from  the  Classical  Letter 
Books,  Vols.  XXIX  and  XXX.  The  Synodical  archives  fur- 
nished also  fourteen  documents,  among  which  are  eight  letters 
and  reports  written  by  Boehm  (namely,  Nos.  21,  22,  36,  37, 
38,  39,  42,  43),  two  pamphlets  (Nos.  34,  46)  and  four  letters 
addressed  to  Boehm  (Nos.  19,  20,  35,  41).  One  document 
(No.  44)  was  taken  from  the  Mayer  Ms.,  the  original,  at  one 
time  in  the  archives  at  New  Brunswick,  seems  to  have  been 
lost.  Finally  of  No.  31,  Boehm's  book  against  the  Moravians, 
the  only  surviving  copy,  in  possession  of  Dr.  Good,  was  used. 
This  brief  account  of  the  manuscript  sources,  used  in  this 
volume,  emphasizes  once  more  the  indebtedness  of  the  Re- 
formed Church  in  the  United  States  to  the  Church  of  Holland. 
But  for  her  care  in  preserving  these  records,  it  would  have 
been  impossible  to  reconstruct  Boehm's  life  and  labors  so  fully 
after  a  lapse  of  more  than  a  century  and  a  half.  How 
much  more  could  have  been  presented,  if  all  the  congregations, 
founded  and  served  by  Boehm  had  shown  an  equal  care  in 
preserving  their  church  records.  Some  of  them,  like  Boehm's 
own  private  records,  are  irrecoverably  lost,  one  or  two  of  them 
being  lost  within  the  last  twenty  years.  H  we  wish  to  honor 
the  memory  of  our  fathers,  we  must  preserve  the  records  which 
they  kept  with  conscientious  care  and  handed  down  to  us  as  a 
precious  heritage. 

William  J.  Hinke. 

Auburn,  August  i,  1916. 


CONTENTS 


PART   I 
LIFE  OF  THE  REV.  JOHN   PHILIP  BOEHM 

PAGE 

Chapter  I.    Boehm's  Parentage  and  Birth 1 

Chapter  II.    Boehm   as    Schoolmaster  at  Worms   and  Lambs- 

HEIM    6 

Chapter  III.    The  Ordination  of  Boehm 20 

Earliest  Reformed   Settlers  in  Pennsylvania 20 

Beginning  of  Boehm's  Ministry   28 

Arrival  of  Rev.  George  Michael  Weiss 29 

Ordination  of  Boehm  35 

Chapter  IV.    Boehm's  Early  Opponents  38 

The  Reiff  Collecting  Tour   39 

John  Peter  Miller    T 44 

John  Bartholomew  Rieger    49 

John   Henry  Goetschy    51 

Peter  Henry  Dorsius    54 

Chapter  V.    Boehm  as  the  Organizer  of  Churches 58 

Whitemarsh  Reformed  Church   58 

Skippack  Reformed  Church   59 

Falkner  Sw^amp  Reformed  Church   61 

Conestoga  Reformed  Churches  ^ 62 

Tulpehocken  Reformed  Churches  66 

Philadelphia  Reformed  Church  70 

Oley  Reformed  Church   73 

Providence  Reformed  Church   74 

Boehm's  Reformed  Church  75 

Egypt  Reformed  Church   77 

Coventry  Reformed  Church  79 

Chapter  VI.    Boehm's  Opposition  to  the  Union  Movement 82 

German   Sects  in   Pennsylvania    84 

Visit  of  Zinzendorf  to  Pennsylvania   89 

Pennsylvania   Synods    92 

Opposition  to  the  Union  Movement 101 


xxii  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

Chapter  VII.    Boehm's  Opponents  in  the  Union  Movement 109 

Henry  Antes    109 

John  Bechtel    115 

Jacob  Lischy    119 

Christian  Henry  Ranch    125 

John  Brandmiller   127 

David   Bruce    129 

Chapter  VIII.     Boehm's  Last  Labors   132 

Arrival  of  Michael  Schlatter  132 

The  First  Coetus   134 

The  Second  Coetus   135 

Boehm  Surrenders  His  Churches  137 

Summary  of  Boehm's  Work   140 

Chapter  IX.    Boehm's  Family  and  Descendants, 145 


PART  II 

CORRESPONDENCE  OF  REV.  JOHN  PHILIP  BOEHM 

1.  1728,  July,  The  Consistories  of  Mr.  Boehm  to  Classis 155 

2.  1728,  Aug.  15,  New  York  Ministers  to  Classis 170 

8.     1728,  Nov.  28,  The  Classis  to  the  Churches  in  Pennsylvania..  170 

4.  1728,  Dec.  1,  Classis  to  the  New  York  Ministers 172 

5.  1729,  June  20,  Classis  to  the  Brethren  in  Pennsylvania 172 

6.  1729,  June  20,  Classis  to  Mr.  Boehm  174 

7.  1729,  June  20,  Classis  to  the  New  York  Ministers 176 

8.  1729,  Nov.  23,  Ordination  of  John  Philip  Boehm 177 

9.  1729,  Nov.  24,  Reconciliation  between  Boehm  and  Weiss 180 

10.  1730,  Jan.  29,  Mr.  Boehm  to  the  Classis 183 

11.  1730,  Jan.  29,  Mr.  Boehm  and  His  Consistories  to  the  Classis.  186 

12.  1730,  Apr.  21,  New  York  Ministers  to  the  Classis 192 

13.  1730,  Nov.  12,  Mr.  Boehm  to  the  Classis,  with  Enclosures 198 

a.  1730,  May  17,  Mr.  Boehm  to  the  Ministers  of  New  York..  207 

b.  1730,  July  17,  New  York  Ministers  to  Mr.  Boehm 210 

c.  1727,  Nov.  28,  Mr.  Weiss  to  Mr.  Boehm 211 

d.  1727,  Oct.  2,  Mr.  Weiss  to  Mr.  Schwab,  of  Canastocka. . .  212 

e.  1730,  Nov.,  Complaints  of  Mr.  Boehm  against  Mr.  Weiss..  214 

f .  1730,  Nov.  5,  Mr.    Boehm    and    Skippack    Elders    to    New 

York  Ministers   219 

14.  1730,  Dec.  5,  Classis  to  Mr.  Boehm   220 

15.  1730,  Dec.  5,  Classis  to  Churches  of  Mr.  Boehm 222 

16.  1730,  Dec.  5,  Classis  to  Church  of  Skippack 223 

17.  1730,  Dec.  5,  Classis  to  New  York  Ministers 226 

18.  1731,  Oct.  19,  Classis  to  Mr.  Boehm   228 


CONTENTS  xxiii 

PAGE 

19.  1731,  Dec.  1,  Synodical  Deputies  to  Mr.  Boehm 230 

20.  1734,  Apr.  20,  Reformed     Church     of     Philadelphia     to     Mr. 

Boehm    231 

21.  1734,  Oct.  28,  Mr.  Boehm  and  Phila.  Consistory  to  Synods...  234 

22.  1734,  Oct.  28,  First  Report  of  Mr.  Boehm  to  Synods 250 

23.  1738,  Mar.  10,  Mr.  Boehm  and  his  Consistories  to  Classis 258 

24.  1739,  Jan.,  Classis  to  Mr.  Boehm   261 

25.  1739,  Mar.  16,  Mr.   Boehm  to  Classis    262 

Mar.  18,  Postscript    267 

26.  1740,  Mar.  26,  Mr.  Boehm  to  Classis,  with  enclosures 269 

a.  1738,  Nov.  28,  Mr.  Dorsius  to  Mr.  Boehm 271 

b.  1739,  Jan.  14,  Report  of  Mr.  Boehm  to  Classis 272 

c.  1739,  Dec.  6,  Mr.  Dorsius  to  Mr.  Boehm 284 

d.  1740,  Mar.       Certified  Pledges  of  Reformed  Churches...  285 

including  (a)   A  Summary   294 

(b)   An  Additional  Report 295 

e.  1740,  Mar.       Repartition  of  Reformed  Churches 297 

27.  1740,  Apr.  1,  Classis  to  Mr.  Boehm 298 

28.  1740,  Apr.  4,  Mr.  Boehm  to  the  Classis  300 

including:   Letter  of  Wilhelmius  to  Pa.  Churches 303 

29.  1741,  May  3,  Defense  of  Mr.  Boehm  by  his  Consistories 311 

30.  1741,  July  25,  Mr.  Boehm  to  the  Classis,  with  enclosures 318 

a.  1740,  Oct.  20,  Visit  of  Dorsius  to  Goshenhoppen 338 

b.  1740,  Nov.  30,  Defense  of  Mr.  Boehm  by  his  Elders 339 

c.  1740,  Apr.  20,  Tulpehocken  Consistory  to  Mr.  Boehm 342 

d.  1735,  Feb.  27,  Statement  of  Rev.  John  B.  Rieger 343 

e.  1741,  June  20,  Mr.  Weiss  to  C.  Ulrich  of  Philadelphia 344 

f.  1738,  May  8,  Account  of  Collection  Money,  by  Weiss 345 

g.  1741,  Declaration  of  Allegiance  to  King 346 

31.  1742,  Aug.  23,  Boehm's  Faithful  Letter  of  Warning 348 

1742,  July  18,  Commotion  in  Philadelphia  Meeting  House 366 

32.  1742,  Nov.  17,  Mr.  Boehm  to  the  Classis 370 

33.  1743,  May    9,  Classis  to  Mr.  Boehm   372 

34.  1743,  May  19,  Boehm's  Second  Faithful  Warning 373 

35.  1744,  Mar.  27,  Tulpehocken  Congregation  to  Mr.  Boehm 385 

36.  1744,  Mar.  18,  Mr.  Boehm  and  his  Consistories  to  the  Synods.  386 
with  enclosures : 

a.  1743,  Sept.  20,  Synodical  Deputy  to  Reformed  Churches..  396 

b.  1739,  Jan.        Report  of  Mr.  Boehm  to  the  Synods 397 

c.  1740,  Mar.  26,  Mr.  Boehm  to  Synods 397 

d.  1743-1744,  Statistics  of  Mr.  Boehm 397 

e.  1744,  Mar.  18,  Church  Order  of  Mr.  Boehm 400 

37.  1744,  July  8.  Mr.  Boehm  and  Phila.  Consistory  to  Synods 405 

38.  1744,  July  8,  Report  of  Mr.  Boehm  to  the  Synods 408 

39.  1744,  July  9,  Mr.  Boehm  to  Deputies  of  Synods 426 

40.  1746,  Nov.  23,  Mr.  Boehm  to  the  Classis 428 


xxiv  CONTENTS 

Page 

Nov.  25,  Postscript    433 

41.  1746,  Nov.  29,  Mr.  Schlatter  to  Mr.  Boehm 435 

42.  1746,  Dec.  12,  Mr.  Boehm  to  Deputies  of  Synods 436 

43.  1748,  Nov.  21,  Mr.  Boehm  sending  Minutes  of  Coetus 438 

44.  1748,  Nov.  22,  Mr.  Boehm  to  Classical  Deputy 441 

45.  1748,  Dec.         Mr.  Boehm  to  Classical  Deputy 442 

46.  1748,  Preface  to  Church  Order 463 

47.  1749,  June  2,  Classical  Deputies  to  Mr.  Boehm 468 


APPENDIX  I 

Documents  Relating  to  Boehm's  Death  and  Property 

48.  1749,  Mar.-May,  Notices  of  Mr.  Boehm's  Last  Labors 469 

49.  1749,  May  16,  Obituary  Notice  of  Mr.  Boehm 469 

50.  1749,  May  6,  Widow  renouncing  right  of  administration 470 

51.  1749,  May  6,  Letters  of  administration  granted  to  Son 470 

52.  1749,  May  6,  Bond  of  Administrator 471 

53.  1749.  July  13,  Inventory  of  Estate    472 

54.  1749,  July  13,  Account  of  Administrator  of   Estate 475 

55.  1749,  July  1,  Deed  given  by  Daughters  to  youngest  Son 476 


APPENDIX  II 

List  of  Reformed  Congregations  founded  before  1750 481 

Index    491 


ILLUSTRATIONS  ON  PLATES 


1.  Boehm's   Church,   First   Structure Frontispiece 

2.  Boehm's  Church,  Present  Building Frontispiece 

Facing  Page 

3.  Hochstadt,  the  Birthplace  of  Boehm 6 

4.  Lambsheim,  where  Boehm  taught  School -. 6 

5.  First  Page  of  Neshaminy  Record 24 

6.  The  Dutch  Reformed  Ministers  at  New  York,  who  ordained 

Boehm     36 

7.  First  Printed  Report  about  the  Reformed  Church  of  Penna...     40 

8.  House   of   Wm.    De   Wees,   in    which    the   Whitemarsh    Con- 

gregation met   58 

9.  Cornerstone  of  Old  Goshenhoppen  Church  58 

10.     Title  Page  of  the  Book  of  Weiss  against  the  Newborn 72 

n.     Portrait  of  Count  von  Zinzendorf 82 

12.  Market  Place  at  Germantown,  showing  the  Reformed  Church.  100 

13.  The  Tomb  of  Henry  Antes  114 

14.  Historic    Houses    in    Germantown,    showing    John    Bechtel's 

House    118 

15.  Monument  of  Buettner  and  Ranch,  at  Shekomeko,  N.  Y 126 

16.  Portrait  of  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter  132 

17.  Minutes  of  First  Coetus,  September  29,  1747 134 

18.  House  of  Peter  Troxell,  at  Egypt,  in  which  Boehm  held  his 

last  Communion  140 

19.  The  old  "Boehm  Homestead,"  in  Hellertown,  in  which  Boehm 

died   140 

20.  Letter  of  Boehm,  showing  his  Penmanship  142 

21.  Boehm's  Second  Letter  of  Warning  against  Moravians 374 

22.  Title  Page  of  Boehm's  Church  Order  of  1748 464 

23.  Map  of  Pennsylvania,  showing  location  of  Reformed  Churches 

founded  before  1750   489 


ILLUSTRATIONS  IN  THE  TEXT 


PAGE 

1.  Signature  of  Boehm,  as  Schoolmaster  at  Lambsheim 16 

2.  Signature  of  Rev.  George  M.  Weiss 30 

3.  Signatures  of  Boehm's  Elders  in  1730  36 

4.  Signature  of  Peter  Miller  46 

5.  Signature  of  Rev.  John  B.  Rieger  49 

6.  Signature  of  John  Henry  Goetschy,  from  Egypt  Record 52 

7.  Signature  of  Conrad  Tempelmann   62 

8.  Title    Page    of    Boehm's    Letter    of    Warning    against    the 

Moravians    103 

9.  Signature  of  Jacob  Lischy  120 

10.  Signature  of  Rev.  John  P.  Leydich 139 

11.  Signature  of  Rev.  John  Philip  Boehm   143 

12.  Signature  of  John  Conrad  Wurtz,  from  Egypt  Record 447 


LIFE  OF  THE 
REV.  JOHN  PHILIP  BOEHM 

CHAPTER  I. 

boehm's  parentage  and  birth. 

The  name  Boehm  indicates  that  the  family  originated  in 
Bohemia,  for  it  means  "the  Bohemian."  At  present  we  are 
unable  to  trace  the  family  farther  back  than  the  father  of  John 
Philip  Boehm.  His  name  was  Philip  Lewis  [Ludwig]  Boehm. 
The  older  Boehm  was  born  in  the  year  1646  at  Dorheim,  a 
village  in  the  Wetterau,  a  district  which  is  now  a  part  of  the 
Grand-duchy  of  Hesse,  between  Frankfort-on-the-Main  and 
Giessen.  When  the  Latin  school  at  Hanau-on-the-Main  was 
opened  in  INIarch,  1665,  "Philippus  Ludovicus  Bohemus. 
Dorheimensis,"  matriculated  as  the  thirty-fourth  student 
of  the  first  class.*  A  year  and  a  half  later,  on  August 
27,  1666,  he  matriculated  with  the  same  signature  in  the  uni- 
versity of  Marburg.  Sometime  afterwards  he  became  the 
Dutch  schoolmaster  of  the  Walloon  congregation  in  the  new- 
town  of  Hanau.  On  October  22,  1679,  the  protocol  of  the 
Reformed  Consistory  of  Hanau  states :  "Inasmuch  as  the 
present  Dutch  schoolmaster  in  the  new-town  [Hanau]  has  been 
accepted  as  pastor  of  the  vacant  congregation  at  Hochstadt, 
it  has  been  deemed  proper  to  address,  according  to  usual 
custom,  a  letter  of  recommendation  to  Messrs.  Von  Carben, 

'  The  matriculation  book  of  the  Latin  school  at  Hanau  has  been 
printed :  Illustris  Scholae  Hanoviensis  Leges  et  Album  Civinm  Aca- 
demicorum  inde  ab  anno  1663  usque  ad  annum  i8j2.  Particula  I,  1665- 
1724,  Hanau  1895,  Programm  No.  397;  Particula  II,  1724-1812.  Hanau 
1896,  Programm  No.  399.  Published  by  the  Director,  Dr.  Ph.  Braun. 
The  entry  of  Philip  Ludwig  Boehm  occurs  in  the  first  of  these  publi- 
cations, p.  6. 


2  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

patrons  of  this  parish."^  Shortly  afterwards  Boehm  was  or- 
dained and  entered  upon  his  pastoral  activity.  He  officiated 
at  the  first  wedding  at  Hochstadt  on  February  19,  1680. 

His  pastorate  at  Hochstadt  was  quite  stormy.  The  rec- 
ords of  the  Consistory  of  Hanau^  refer  repeatedly  to  quarrels 
and  troubles  in  which  he  was  involved.  In  August,  1682, 
John  Hoerst,  one  of  the  members  of  the  village  board,  com- 
plained that  his  pastor,  Mr.  Boehm,  had  scolded  him  publicly 
from  the  pulpit  for  allowing  his  son  to  haul  earth  during  the 
prayer  meeting,  which,  Mr.  Hoerst  explained,  his  son  had 
done  contrary  to  his  orders  and  unknown  to  him.  The  Con- 
sistory gave  Boehm  a  reprimand  and  made  him  promise  to 
attend  to  the  duties  of  his  office  more  peaceably.  In  August, 
1684,  the  Consistory  heard  that  the  pastor  of  Hochstadt  was 
daily  running  with  his  gun  through  the  vineyards,  after  game, 
a  misdemeanor,  which  was  strictly  forbidden.  A  written  rep- 
rimand was  sent  to  him.  In  September,  1684,  the  burgess  of 
the  village  complained  to  the  Consistory  about  the  language 
Boehm  had  used  when  speaking  of  him  and  the  village  offi- 
cials. When  e.g.,  in  the  course  of  a  conversation  Boehm  had 
been  asked  why  ministers  nowadays  were  riding  beautiful 
horses,  he  had  answered  sarcastically  that  the  great  Lords  had 
made  all  the  asses  their  servants,  hence  ministers  were  com- 
pelled to  take  horses.  Boehm  was  put  through  a  rigorous  ex- 
amination by  the  Consistory,  in  which  he  was  compelled  to 
confess  that  he  had  a  slippery  tongue  and  had  spoken  in  anger. 
He  had  to  beg  the  burgess'  pardon  and  had  to  promise  to  live 
in  peace  with  his  parishioners.  The  case  was  reported  to  the 
noblemen,  who  were  the  patrons  of  the  parish.  They  decreed 
that  Boehm  should  be  suspended  from  office  for  four  weeks. 

^  The  extracts  from  the  minutes  of  the  Consistory  of  Hanau, 
quoted  in  this  chapter,  are  taken  from  the  original  minute  books,  pre- 
served in  the  Royal  State  Archives  at  Marburg.  They  were  made  for 
the  writer  with  the  kind  permission  of  the  present  director  of  these 
archives. 

'  It  may  be  well  to  add  that  the  term  "Consistory"  is  not  used 
in  Germany  in  the  same  sense  as  in  this  country.  It  does  not  refer  to 
a  congregational  consistory.  It  is  the  supreme  ecclesiastical  judicatory 
of  a  province.  At  present  a  provincial  consistory  consists  of  six  pas- 
tors and  six  theological  professors  of  the  university  of  the  province, 
appointed  by  the  government. 


PHILIP  LEWIS  BOEHM  3 

In  spite  of  this  severe  sentence,  Boehm  was  unable  to  control 
his  tongue.  On  two  later  occasions  suspensions  from  office 
were  imposed  upon  him.  In  July,  1686,  he  preached  a  sermon 
against  heretics  and  heretical  books,  in  which  he  insinuated  that 
the  Consistory  was  not  doing  its  duty  with  regard  to  them.  On 
another  occasion  he  again  attacked  the  village  officials,  call- 
ing one  of  them  a  spider,  sucking  poison  out  of  his  sermons. 
After  his  third  suspension  the  Consistory  considered  it  better 
for  him  to  take  another  charge.  He  was,  therefore,  trans- 
ferred to  Kesselstadt,  near  Hanau,  in  1688. 

During  his  pastorate  at  Hochstadt  several  children  were 
born  to  him.  A  daughter,  Margaretha,  born  October  4,  1681, 
was  baptized  at  Hanau  October  9,  1681.  His  wife's  Christian 
name  is  given  as  Maria.  Two  years  later,  in  November,  1683, 
his  son,  John  Philip,  was  born  at  Hochstadt  and  baptized  there 
on  November  25,  1683.*  In  the  following  year,  on  June  6, 
1684,  two  older  sons,  John  Daniel  Boehm  and  Clement  Lewis 
(Ludwig)  Boehm,  entered  the  Latin  school  at  Hanau.  They 
are  called  in  the  matriculation  book:  "fratres  et  filii  Philippi 
Ludov.  Boehm,  p.t.  pastor  Hochstadiensis,"  i.e.,  "brothers,  sons 
of  Philip  Lewis  Boehm,  p.t.  pastor  at  Hochstadt." 

After  a  brief  pastorate  at  Kesselstadt,  about  which  nothing 
is  known  at  present,  Mr.  Boehm,  Sr.,  returned  again  to  his 
former  congregation  at  Hochstadt.  The  records  of  the  Con- 
sistory of  Hanau  state,  under  date  January  14,  1691 :  "Inas- 
much as  the  congregation  at  Hochstadt  has  again  asked  for 
its  former  pastor.  Rev.  Philip  Lewis  Boehm,  hitherto  pastor 

*  The  writer  himself  examined  the  church  records  of  the  Re- 
formed churches  at  Hanau  and  Hochstadt  in  August,  1898.  Boehm 
was  not  born  on  November  25,  1683,  but  that  day  was  the  date  of  his 
baptism.  The  date  of  his  birth  is  not  given.  It  was  most  likely  from 
three  to  five  days  earlier,  according  to  the  usual  custom  prevailing 
at  that  time.  Note  the  dates  in  the  case  of  Boehm's  own  children,  in  the 
next  chapter,  p.  8.  The  entry  relating  to  John  Philip  Boehm's  bap- 
tism reads,  literally  translated,  as  follows : 

"In  the  village  of  Hochstadt,  township  of  Hanau,  Philippus  Lu- 
dovicus  Boehm,  pro  tempore  pastor  of  this  place,  and  Maria,  his  wife, 
brought  a  son  to  baptism  on  November  25,  1683.  His  name  is  'Johannes 
Philipp.'  Sponsors  were :  Mr.  Johannes  Hassenpflug.  pro  tempore  prae- 
ceptor  in  the  third  Class  [of  the  Latin  school]  at  Hanau-on-the-Main, 
a  brother-in-law." 


4  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

of  Kesselstadt,  and  his  Reverence  is  also  willing  and  has  en- 
tered into  an  agreement  with  the  congregation  accordingly, 
he  shall  be  transferred  to  that  place,  upon  the  ratification  of 
the  noble  Lords." 

During  his  second  pastorate  at  Hochstadt,  Boehm  married 
a  second  time,  on  January  ii,  1694,  a  widow,  daughter  of 
Jacob  Bernes,  then  in  Brazil.  This  union  seems  to  have  been 
very  unhappy.  There  were  frequent  quarrels.  Twice  Boehm 
was  cited  before  the  Consistory  because  of  his  domestic 
troubles.  At  the  second  citation,  in  November,  1700,  a  recon- 
ciliation between  him  and  his  wife  was  effected  before  the 
Consistory,  but  in  view  of  what  had  occurred  it  was  considered 
more  expedient  to  transfer  Boehm  to  Rumpenheim  on  the 
Main,  near  Frankfort.  This  change  was  made  in  January, 
1701. 

Of  his  older  sons  the  following  facts  are  on  record  dur- 
ing this  period.  His  son,  John  Daniel,  matriculated  at  the 
university  of  Marburg  on  June  17,  1691.  In  May,  1694,  Mr. 
Boehm  requested  assistance  of  the  Consistory  for  his  son, 
John  Daniel,  to  prosecute  his  studies  at  Bremen.  Six  rix- 
dollars  were  granted  to  him  on  May  23,  1694.  On  February 
26,  1696,  the  father  asked  the  Consistory  to  intercede,  on 
behalf  of  his  son,  with  the  Consistory  of  Budingen,  to  give 
his  son  a  pastorate.  The  request  was  granted.  On  June  12, 
1705,  John  Daniel  Boehm  reported  to  the  Hanau  Consistory 
that  he  had  accepted  the  position  of  Court  preacher  to  the 
Count  von  Donau  at  Guntersblum,  but  he  asked  that  if  a 
vacancy  should  occur  in  his  native  land  he  be  remembered. 

In  October.  1708,  complaints  were  preferred  against  T\Tr. 
Boehm,  Sr.,  to  the  Consistory  of  Hanau,  by  the  officers  of 
his  congregation.  As  a  result  he  was  transferred  from  Rum- 
penheim to  Wachenbuchen,  a  village  but  a  few  miles  north  of 
his  former  parish  at  Hochstadt.  The  transfer  took  place  in 
February,  1709,  but  his  ministry  there  was  not  of  long  duration. 
In  1712,  he  was  stricken  with  the  grey  cataract  on  both  eyes. 
As  a  result  his  congregation  asked  the  Consistory,  in  April. 
1713,  for  an  assistant  to  their  pastor.  In  answer  to  their  re- 
quest Candidate  Roediger  was  sent  to  them.  On  June  18,  1713, 
a  famous  eye  specialist,  Dr.  Hieronymus  Siegfried  of  Lan- 
genselbolt,  operated  on  his  right  eye.     Five  days  later  a  se- 


PHILIP  LEWIS  BOEHM  5 

vere  sickness  came  upon  him,  as  a  result  of  which  he  was 
incapacitated  for  further  work.  He  was,  therefore,  retired 
from  the  ministry,  at  his  own  request,  towards  the  end  of 
the  year  1713,  with  the  understanding  that  his  successor  pay 
him  annually  15  fl.  in  money  and  five-eighths  of  a  hundred 
weight  of  grain.  To  this,  at  Boehm's  urgent  request,  ten 
florins  were  added  from  the  funds  of  the  Consistory.  This 
arrangement  continued  till  1718,  when  Boehm  petitioned  the 
Consistory  for  an  increase  of  his  pension.  His  connection 
with  Wachenbuchen  was  then  severed  and  fifty  florins  an- 
nually were  voted  to  him  by  the  Consistory.  In  this  petition, 
submitted  by  Boehm  on  July  20,  he  related  at  length  his  un- 
fortunate experiences,  dating  from  the  year  17 12.  He  also 
stated  that  at  that  time,  July,  1718,  he  was  72  years  of  age. 

His  name  occurs  for  the  last  time  in  the  records  of  the 
Hanau  Consistory  on  May  15,  1726,  when  he  is  mentioned 
as  "the  lately  deceased  pastor." 

The  older  Boehm  during  his  somewhat  checkered  career 
had  evidently  belonged  to  the  church  militant,  and  his  son, 
John  Philip,  was  destined  to  follow  his  footsteps. 


CHAPTER  II. 

BOEHM    AS    SCHOOLMASTER   AT    WORMS   AND   LAMBSHEIM. 

John  Philip  Boehm  was  born  at  Hochstadt,  near  Frank- 
fort-on-the-Main,  in  the  year  1683.  On  November  25,  1683, 
"Philippus  Ludovicus  Boehm,  p.t.,  pastor  of  this  place,  and 
Maria  his  wife,  brought  a  son  to  baptism,  John  Philip.  Spon- 
sors were  Mr.  John  Hassenpflug,  p.t.,  teacher  of  the  third  Class 
at  Hanau-on-the-Main,  a  brother-in-law." 

Nothing  is  known  at  present  about  the  youth  of  John 
Philip  Boehm,  nor  of  the  place  where  he  received  his  education. 
It  was  not  in  the  Latin  school  at  Hanau,  in  which  his  brothers 
studied,  nor  at  Bremen.  The  matriculation  books  at  these 
places  have  been  examined,  but  his  name  is  not  found  in  them. 

The  first  trace  of  John  Philip  Boehm  has  come  to  light  in 
the  city  of  Worms. ^  In  February,  1708,  he  was  engaged  as 
schoolmaster  of  the  Reformed  congregation  there.  When 
Boehm  came  to  Worms  the  Reformed  congregation  in  that  city 
was  of  recent  origin. 

In  the  year  1689  Worms,  together  with  many  other  cities 
along  the  Rhine,  had  been  totally  destroyed  by  the  troops  of 
King  Louis  XIV  of  France.**  Till  1697,  when  the  peace  of 
Ryswick  closed  the  war  with  France,  Worms  lay  in  ruins. 
Immediately  afterwards  energetic  measures  were  taken  for 
the  rebuilding  of  the  city.  In  order  to  encourage  outsiders 
to  help  in  restoring  the  city,  certain  privileges  were  granted 
to  them.  Thus  the  Reformed,  who  had  worshipped  at  Neu- 
hausen,  a  neighboring  village,  were  invited  to  settle  in  Worms. 
On  June  13,  1699,  a  formal  agreement  was  drawn  up  between 

'The  documents  relating  to  Boehm  were  found  by  the  writer 
in  the  city  archives  of  Worms,  in  the  summer  of  1897.  All  together, 
copies  of  thirty-two  documents  relating  to  Boehm  were  secured. 

•A  monograph  on  the  destruction  of  Worms  in  1689  appeared  at 
Worms  in  1889,  entitled :  Die  Zerstoerung  der  Stadt  IVonns  itn  Jahre 
1689,  von  F.  Soldan,  4  to,  pp.  68.  with  twelve  plates  of  pictures.  From 
this  book  some  of  the  facts  noted  in  this  paragraph  are  taken. 


HOCHSTADT,   THE  BIRTHPLACE  OF  BOEHM 


LAMDSHEIM,  WHERE  BOEHM  WAS  SCHOOEM  ASTKK 


BOEHM  AS  SCHOOLMASTER  7 

the  City  Council  and  the  Reformed  congregation,  by  which  Re- 
formed services  were  permitted  in  Worms.  By  it  the  Re- 
formed people  were  also  allowed  to  build  a  church  and  a 
schoolhouse  within  the  city,  but  not  on  the  main  street  nor  ad- 
joining the  market  place,  and  in  the  suburbs  a  site  for  a  ceme- 
tery was  granted  to  them.  The  Reformed  on  their  part  had 
to  promise  that  they  would  never  seek  public  offices,  but  give 
their  support  to  Lutheran  candidates,  nor  demand  more  lib- 
erties than  had  already  been  granted  to  them.  They  were 
allowed  to  call  their  own  ministers  and  schoolmasters,  but  these 
were  to  render  an  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  magistrates  and 
be  subject  to  their  jurisdiction.  The  Reformed  agreed  also  to 
appeal  to  their  co-religionists  in  other  parts  of  the  empire  for 
funds  to  rebuild  the  city. 

The  first  Reformed  service  in  Worms  was  held  June  25, 
1699.'^  It  was  an  open  air  service,  conducted  by  the  Rev.  Prof. 
Gottfried  Juengst,  pastor  and  church  councillor  at  Hanau.  On 
January  i,  1700,  the  newly  built  Reformed  church  in  Worms 
was  dedicated  by  the  first  pastor  of  the  congregation,  the  Rev. 
Henry  Schmedes,  Doctor  of  Theology,  and  formerly  pastor 
of  the  Holy  Ghost  church  in  Heidelberg.  When  Boehm  came 
to  Worms  in  1708,  the  Reformed  pastor  was  the  Rev.  John 
Caspar  Cruciger,  who  later  on,  as  Electoral  Councillor  at 
Heidelberg,  was  instrumicntal  in  sending  Schlatter  to  Penn- 
sylvania. 

During  the  first  years  of  its  existence,  the  Reformed  con- 
gregation in  Worms  was  small  in  number.  According  to  a 
list,  drawn  up  in  1714,  it  numbered  at  that  time  eighty-three 
members.  The  seal  of  the  congregation  fittingly  represented  its 
condition.  It  was  a  candle  standing  on  a  table,  being  lighted 
by  a  torch. 

Boehm  was  not  the  first  parochial  teacher  of  the  congre- 
gation. He  was  preceded  in  Worms  by  Jacob  de  Malade,  a 
Huguenot,  who  resigned,  as  the  pastor  informs  us  in  a  long  re- 
port, because  he  had  become  an  adherent  of  pietism. 

Before  Boehm  came  to  Worms  he  had  been  married  to 

'  The  statements  regarding  the  Reformed  church  at  Worms  are 
based  on  the  old  church  record  of  the  congregation,  preserved  in  Ms, 
in  the  city  archives  of  Worms. 


8  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

Anna  Maria  Stehler.    Four  children  were  born  to  them  during 
their  stay  in  Worms,  as  follows: 

(i)  Johanna  Sabina,  born  May  2,  baptized  May  4,  1709. 
Sponsor:  Sabina  Cruciger  (nee  Zwengelin)  wife  of  the  Rev. 
John  Caspar  Cruciger. 

(2)  Franciscus  Ludovicus,  born  July  24,  baptized  July  26, 
171 1.  Sponsors:  Philip  Lewis  Boehm,  pastor  at  Wachen- 
buchen  near  Hanau,  the  grandfather  of  the  child  and  Franz 
Caesar,  citizen  and  -merchant  here. 

(3)  John  Christopher,  born  May  4,  1713.  Sponsor:  John 
Christopher  Erb,  baker  here. 

John  Christopher,  son  of  John  Philip  Boehm,  schoolmaster 
of  the  Reformed  congregation  here,  died  August  2,  and  was 
buried  August  4,  1713. 

(4)  Anthony  William,  born  April  27,  baptized  April  29, 
1714.  Sponsors:  Anthony  Wilkhaus,  citizen  and  merchant, 
and  his  son  WilHam  Wilkhaus. 

Not  only  the  third  but  also  the  second  child  must  have 
died  in  infancy,  because  their  names  do  not  appear  in  later 
documents. 

After  Boehm  had  served  six  weeks  on  trial,  he  was  formally 
elected  as  schoolmaster  March  11,  1708.  His  salary  was  100 
gulden  for  the  first  year,  and,  if  satisfactory,  100  rix-dollars^ 
later  on.  The  baptismal  fees  were  to  be  his  perquisites.  His 
election  took  place  not  without  considerable  opposition,  led 
by  Christopher  Schmidt,  president  of  the  consistory  and  the 
most  influential  member  of  the  congregation.  He  had  urged 
the  election  of  another  candidate,  Matthias  DirP  of  Kessel- 
stadt.  Failing  in  securing  his  election,  he  turned  his  displeasure 
against  Boehm.  As  a  result  the  life  of  Boehm  in  Worms  was 
made  unpleasant  by  several  quarrels,  in  which  he  was  in- 
volved by  his  enemy.  We  are  perhaps  not  justified  in  calling 
Boehm  quarrelsome,  like  his  father,  for  he  was  apparently  the 
innocent  party  in  these  quarrels,  but  he  always  fought  with 

'A  German  gulden  was  approximately  48  cents  in  American 
money.  A  rix-dollar  varied  in  value  in  the  different  states,  but  it 
approximated  one  American  dollar. 

"The  name  is  Dirl,  not  Diel,  as  formerly  given,  in  articles  of  the 
writer  on  "John  Philip  Boehm,"  in  the  Reformed  Church  Messenger 
of  May  19,  1898. 


BOEHM  AS  SCHOOLMASTER  9 

determination  and  ability  for  what  he  considered  his  rights. 
He  was  not  a  man  to  suffer  injustice  in  silence.  Hence  we  find 
numerous  documents  in  the  city  archives  at  Worms,  which 
show  that  Boehm  was  able  to  make  a  spirited  defense  when  he 
was  attacked. 

The  first  quarrel  arose  about  the  perquisites  of  the  school- 
master. In  March,  1710,  Schmidt  urged  the  election  of  a 
new  sexton  and  proposed  that  the  baptismal  fees  be  given  to 
him  as  a  part  of  his  salary.  Failing  in  this,  he  urged  that  the 
baptismal  fees  be  laid  no  more  on  the  table  in  the  church,  but 
be  carried  into  the  house  of  the  schoolmaster.  When  this  sug- 
gestion also  failed  to  meet  with  approval,  he  demanded  that 
the  fees  be  put  into  the  alms  fund.  Although  this  demand  was 
never  made  legal  by  a  formal  resolution  of  the  consistory, 
Schmidt  and  his  friends  proceeded  to  enforce  this  regulation, 
which  was  naturally  regarded  by  Boehm  as  a  breach  of  the 
contract  made  with  him. 

When  on  May  17,  171 1,  a  child  of  the  pastor.  Rev.  Mr. 
Cruciger,  was  baptized  in  the  church,  and  Mr.  Fuchs,  the 
sponsor  of  the  child,  laid  half  a  gulden  on  the  table  for  the 
schoolmaster,  Bassermann,  a  deacon  and  friend  of  Schmidt, 
took  the  money  and  put  it  into  the  alms  box.  This  action  was 
repeated  by  Bassermann  at  a  later  occasion.  Hence  on  Alon- 
day  after  Pentecost,  171 1,  Mr.  Fuchs  and  fifteen  other  mem- 
bers of  the  congregation  appeared  before  the  consistory  to 
complain  and  protest  against  such  actions.  One  of  the  elders 
insisted  that  a  resolution  to  that  eft'ect  had  been  passed  by  the 
consistory,  but  others  declared  that  this  was  not  the  case,  there 
being  no  record  of  it  in  the  minutes.  Boehm  was  also  present 
and  demanded  to  know  of  Bassermann  why  he  had  kept  back 
his  salary  for  eleven  weeks  and  finally  had  deducted  a  certain 
amount  from  it.  Bassermann  became  very  angry  and  abusive 
and  would  have  struck  Boehm  in  front  of  the  church,  if 
others  had  not  interfered.  On  July  5.  171 1,  Basserman  took 
again  a  baptismal  fee  and  put  it  into  the  alms  box,  in  spite  of 
the  protests  of  the  pastor  and  the  giver. 

Unable  to  secure  redress  from  the  consistory,  Boehm  ap- 
pealed to  the  City  Council  on  July  6th,  accompanying  his 
complaint  with  the  testimony  of  48  members  of  the  congrega- 
tion, who  declared  that  they  were  satisfied  with  Boehm  and 


10  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

wished  to  leave  the  custom  of  the  baptismal  fees  unchanged. 
On  July  17th,  the  Council  voted  that  matters  be  left  in  statu 
quo,  until  a  final  decision  could  be  reached. 

Schmidt  was  determined  to  disregard  the  action  of  the 
Council,  or  at  least  to  interpret  it  in  a  way  that  suited  his 
fancy.  On  August  2,  he  himself  took  the  money  that  had  been 
given  at  a  baptism,  although  it  was  wrapped  in  paper  with 
Boehm's  name  on  it.  The  pastor  protested  and  Boehm  called 
his  attention  to  the  decision  of  the  Council.  Schmidt  answered 
cooly  that  he  understood  the  decision  of  Council  to  mean  that 
everything  should  remain  as  he  (Schmidt)  had  decided  it. 
When  Boehm  declared  that  such  was  not  the  decision  of  the 
Council,  Schmidt  became  so  angry  that  he  ran  towards  him. 
held  his  fist  before  Boehm's  face,  and  called  him  a  pedant  and 
other  worse  names.  Shortly  afterwards  Boehm  appealed  to 
the  City  Council,  because  his  salary  was  again  kept  back  by 
Bassermann.  The  Council  ordered  Bassermann  to  pay  the 
salary,  but  he  made  all  kinds  of  excuses  and  delayed  payment. 
Another  appeal  of  Boehm  brought  matters  to  a  climax.  The 
Council  now  insisted  that  the  various  parties  come  together  and 
settle  their  differences.  Finally,  on  November  2,  171 1,  a 
compromise  was  arranged  in  the  presence  of  the  Council.  On 
the  question  of  the  fees  the  votes  were  equally  divided.  At 
the  suggestion  of  one  of  the  city  magistrates,  it  was  then 
decided  to  make  the  giving  of  baptismal  fees  optional,  with 
which  both  parties  were  satisfied.  The  compromise  con- 
tained a  clause  that  Schmidt  should  deliver  to  the  Consistory 
all  church  records,  cash  books,  etc.  This  led  to  a  new  con- 
troversy between  him  and  the  majority  of  the  Consistory, 
headed  by  the  pastor,  which  was  not  concluded  till  April,  1714, 
when  an  agreement  was  signed.  Thus  the  first  controversy 
came  to  an  end. 

The  second  quarrel  in  which  Boehm  was  involved  had  a 
cause  even  more  trifling  than  the  first.  But,  in  spite  of  the 
insignificance  of  the  issue,  the  congregation  was  deeply  stirred 
over  it. 

Article  fourteen  of  the  constitution  of  the  congregation 
prescribed:  "Whereas  the  office  of  deacons  includes  the  duty 
to  provide  for  the  Holy  Supper,  they  shall  from  their  own 
means  procure  the  bread,  and,  baked  in  good  time,  hand  it  to 


BOEHM  AS  SCHOOLMASTER  H 

the  schoolmaster  that  he  may  cut  it ;  and  moreover,  they  shall 
see  to  it  that  the  table  be  ready  and,  whenever  the  tankard 
becomes  empty,  they  shall  fill  it". 

On  Sunday,  August  5,  17 14,  the  communion  was  to  be 
celebrated.  For  that  occasion  Mr.  Christopher  Erb,  a  baker, 
had  to  provide  the  bread.  On  Saturday  preceding  he  sent 
the  bread,  through  a  maid  servant,  to  Boehm's  house.  His 
wife  received  it  and  put  it  into  the  cellar.  When  Boehm 
rose  up  early  the  next  morning  to  cut  this  bread,  he  found  it 
too  brittle  to  be  cut  into  little  squares.  As  he  did  not  know 
what  to  do,  he  opened  the  window,  called  the  minister,  who 
lived  next  door,  and  asked  him  what  to  do  under  the  circum- 
stances. The  minister  advised  him  to  notify  the  deacons  and 
secure  if  possible  other  bread. 

Boehm  then  sent  a  notice  to  Erb,  through  his  maid  ser- 
vant, telling  him  of  the  condition  of  the  bread  and  asking  him 
for  another  loaf  of  bread.  When  the  servant  returned,  she 
brought  a  loaf,  half  as  large  as  the  first  and  just  as  brittle. 
In  this  extremity  Boehm  did  not  know  what  else  to  do  but  to 
cut  up  a  loaf  of  rye  bread  which  he  had  in  his  house.  Mean- 
while the  time  for  the  church  services  was  approaching  and 
Boehm  proceeded,  therefore,  to  make  all  other  necessary  pre- 
parations. Erb  did  not  come  to  church  till  the  bells  were 
ringing  and  then  it  was  too  late  to  secure  other  bread.  The 
rye  bread  was,  therefore,  actually  used  in  the  communion  ser- 
vice, without  oflfense  to  anybody,  as  Boehm  claims.  This 
harmless  act  of  Boehm,  made  necessary  by  the  carelessness  of 
others,  was  the  opportunity  for  which  his  enemies  had  waited 
to  attack  him. 

On  Wednesday,  August  29th,  17 14.  after  the  midweek 
services,  the  deacons  came  to  the  minister  and  informed  him 
that  there  would  be  a  meeting  of  the  Consistory,  but  they  had 
the  impudence  to  add,  that  his  presence  would  not  be  required. 
Nor  did  they  invite  the  elders,  who  were  friendly  to  Boehm,  to 
be  present.  The  rest,  four  in  number,  Schmidt,  Clementz, 
Schaum  and  Schertz,  constituted  themselves  into  a  committee 
of  investigation.  Paper  and  ink  were  ordered  to  be  brought 
over  from  the  house  of  the  schoolmaster,  and  then  the  in- 
vestigation began.  Erb  was  the  first  witness  called.  He  was 
asked  about  the  bread  used  at  the  last  communion    service. 


12  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

Then  the  schoolmaster  was  called  in  to  give  testimony,  of 
which  also  a  record  was  made  in  a  book.  This  was  signed  by 
the  members  of  the  consistory  present.  The  peculiar  thing 
about  this  investigation  was,  as  Boehm  remarks  in  a  later  ap- 
peal to  the  City  Council,  that  it  was  begun  by  a  man,  who  had 
not  been  inside  of  the  church  for  nineteen  months  and  had  not 
taken  part  in  a  communion  service  for  four  years. 

The  report  thus  drawn  up  was  circulated  through  the  con- 
gregation, and  when  the  members  were  sufficiently  stirred  up, 
the  deacons  asked  the  minister  on  Sunday,  September  9th,  to 
announce  a  congregational  meeting  after  the  services.  In 
spite  of  all  protests  they  insisted  upon  it,  declaring  that  the 
members  of  the  congregation  demanded  it.  After  the  service 
the  minister  was  asked  to  retire,  which  he  did.  Schmidt  then 
read  the  report  of  the  investigating  committee.  Schmidt  had 
been  careful  to  gather  all  his  followers  and  they  had  been  in- 
structed what  to  do.  A  number  of  speeches  were  made  after 
the  reading  of  the  report,  in  which  the  speakers  demanded 
the  dismissal  of  Boehm  as  schoolmaster.  One  of  them  went 
even  so  far  as  to  declare  that  whoever  would  not  vote  for  the 
dismissal  could  not  be  saved.  But  the  supporters  of  Boehm 
did  not  remain  silent  under  these  accusations.  They  answered 
the  harangues  of  his  enemies.  As  a  result  a  regular  tumult 
arose,  which  caused  many  of  the  good  members  to  leave  the 
church.  The  rest  brought  the  question  to  a  vote,  and,  accord- 
ing to  the  statement  of  Boehm,  counted  even  the  votes  of  absent 
members,  which  they  claimed  had  been  sent  in.  Schmidt  an- 
nounced as  the  result  of  the  vote,  that  the  majority  were  in 
favor  of  the  dismissal  of  the  schoolmaster.  This  was  denied 
by  Boehm  afterwards,  on  the  ground  that  no  definite  number 
of  votes  had  been  announced  and  that  after  the  meeting  some 
of  the  elders  went  around  in  the  congregation  soliciting  votes. 
But  Schmidt  claimed  the  victory  and  was  determined  to  make 
the  most  of  it. 

On  Tuesday,  September  11,  1714,  the  consistory,  or 
rather  the  faction  of  it  hostile  to  Boehm,  sent  a  delegation  of 
four  to  Boehm's  house,  of  whom  deacon  Schertz  was  the 
speaker.  He  announced  to  Boehm,  in  the  name  of  the  con- 
gregation, that  he  had  been  dismissed,  and  demanded  that  he 
vacate  the  schoolhouse  within  six  weeks. 


BOEHM  AS  SCHOOLMASTER  13 

Boehm  astonished  them,  however,  by  his  cool  answer. 
He  replied :  "In  the  first  place  I  do  not  accept  my  dismissal 
from  you.  I  demand  that  it  be  given  to  me  in  writing  with 
the  reason  for  such  action  stated  in  full.  Moreover,  I  shall 
appeal  to  the  City  Council  and  lay  the  whole  matter  before 
them.  You  claim  that  you  act  in  the  name  of  the  congregation. 
That  I  want  to  find  out". 

Mr.  Clementz,  one  of  the  delegates,  remarked:  "God  for- 
bid, that  we  should  tell  you  a  lie".  Boehm  answered :  "I  do 
not  say  that,  but  I  want  to  know  whether  this  case  has  been 
properly  laid  before  the  congregation.  In  a  word,  I  do  not 
accept  my  dismissal  in  this  way.  I  demand  it  in  writing  with 
the  reasons  attached  to  it".  Clementz  remonstrated  that  there 
was  no  occasion  for  that,  the  use  of  rye  bread  in  the  last  com- 
munion was  the  main  reason.  "Very  well",  said  Boehm,  "let 
me  have  that  black  on  white,  that  I  can  lay  it  before  the  Coun- 
cil". "Never  mind",  interrupted  another,  "we  are  on  the  way 
to  the  mayor  to  notify  him  of  our  decision".  "Oh",  said 
Boehm,  "so  you  have  dismissed  me  without  the  knowledge  and 
consent  of  the  Council".  "What  does  that  matter"?  asked 
another  delegate.  "We  shall  see",  replied  Boehm.  "Mean- 
while I  assure  you,  I  shall  not  concern  myself  about  this  action 
during  the  next  six  weeks,  but  I  shall  continue  my  work,  per- 
haps for  more  weeks  than  some  of  you  like.     Good  bye". 

The  climax  of  the  afifair  was  reached  on  Wednesday,  Sep- 
tember 1 2th.  In  the  morning  of  that  day,  Boehm  went  to  the 
pastor  to  get  the  hymns  for  the  evening  service.  The  pastor 
informed  him,  that  the  deacons  had  waited  on  him  and.  in  the 
name  of  the  congregation,  had  asked  him  not  to  give  the  hymns 
to  the  schoolmaster.  Boehm  asked  whether  he  (the  pastor) 
would  forbid  him  to  lead  the  singing.  He  answered,  no. 
Boehm  then  went  into  the  church.  When,  after  the  ringing 
of  the  bells,  he  arose  to  read  the  Scriptures,  as  was  customary, 
and  had  read  only  a  few  words,  one  of  the  members,  Mr. 
Emrich,  came  up  and  told  him,  in  the  name  of  the  congrega- 
tion, to  stop,  as  he  was  no  longer  their  teacher.  Boehm 
answered :  "I  am  here  at  my  place,  which  God  and  the  church 
have  entrusted  to  me,  and  I  ask  you  to  be  quiet,  so  that  I  can 
fulfil  my  duty.  I  have  not  yet  received  my  dismissal,  nor  do 
I    accept   it   now".     But   the   man    shouted:     "You    are   dis- 


14  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

missed".  Meanwhile  another  member,  Mr.  Sauerwein,  had 
come  up,  closed  the  Bible  and  tried  to  take  it  away  from  him. 
But  Boehm  took  the  Bible  with  both  of  his  hands  and  held  it 
up.  The  excitement  became  now  general,  ending  in  great  con- 
fusion. During  the  tumult  an  old  woman  fainted  and  had  to 
be  carried  out  of  the  church.  She  was  taken  to  the  parsonage, 
where  she  died  during  the  night. 

Two  days  afterwards,  September  14th,  Boehm  laid  the 
whole  case  before  the  City  Council.  He  received  a  favorable 
decision,  that  he  should  be  retained  in  his  office.  As  the  con- 
sistory took  no  notice  of  this  decision,  Boehm  wrote  a  lengthy 
report,  entitled  "Species  Facti",  which  he  submitted  to  the 
Council  on  the  12th  of  October,  demanding  at  the  same  time 
that  his  opponents  be  compelled  to  state  their  reasons  for  his 
dismissal  in  full,  so  that  he  might  answer  them.  After  re- 
peated requests  of  Boehm  and  repeated  decrees  of  the  Council, 
the  charges  were  finally  produced,  laid  before  the  Council  and 
sent    to  Boehm  for  answer. 

On  November  14,  17 14,  Boehm  answered  the  charges  in 
full.  His  opponents  had  tried  first  to  prove  that  as  a  con- 
sistory they  had  a  right  to  dismiss  their  preacher  and  school- 
master, if  their  life  and  conduct  prove  ofifensive.  Boehm 
answered  their  claim  with  the  statement  that,  if  the  Council 
had  the  privilege  of  confirming  the  election  of  pastor  and 
schoolmaster,  they  could  not  be  dismissed  without  its  approval. 
He  then  took  up  the  charges  preferred  against  him  and 
answered  them  seriatim : 

1.  They  charged  Boehm  that  three  years  before  he  had 
forcibly  entered  the  church  and  taken  money  out  of  the  alms 
box.  Boehm  answered,  that  not  he  but  his  friends  had  opened 
the  alms  box  to  take  the  money  that  had  been  given  to  him. 
It  had,  however,  been  restored  afterwards. 

2.  The  fact  that  he  substituted  rye  bread  at  the  com- 
munion service,  was  not  due  to  his  fault,  but  to  the  neglect  of 
Mr.  Erb. 

3.  They  claimed  that  he  was  a  poor  teacher  and  that  his 
school  was  becoming  smaller  every  day.  To  this  Boehm 
answered  that  this  was  not  his  fault,  but  was  rather  due  to  his 
enemies,  who  had  taken  their  children  out  of  his  school  and 
had  influenced  others  to  do  the  same.     Yet  he  claimed  that 


BOEHM  AS  SCHOOLMASTER  15 

his  school  was  stronger  than  at  the  time  of  his  predecessor, 
for  he  had  forty  children  of  good  citizens  in  it. 

4.  They  charged  him  with  discontinuing  his  private  in- 
struction. Boehm  replied  that  this  was  his  private  afTair,  in 
which  he  could  do  as  he  pleased.  He  had  not  been  required 
by  his  call  to  hold  these  private  instructions,  and  now  they 
could  not  compel  him  to  continue  them. 

5.  They  objected  to  the  fact  that  he  had  admitted  Jewish 
children  into  his  school.  Boehm  answered  that  his  enemies 
ought  to  be  ashamed  to  make  such  a  complaint.  They  ought 
rather  be  glad  that  they  were  coming,  which  they  would  cer- 
tainly be,  if  they  were  not  actuated  by  jealousy,  being  afraid 
that  he  might  earn  some  extra  money. 

6.  They  charged  that  Boehm  had  gotten  into  a  lawsuit. 
He  answered  that  he  was  sorry  for  that.  However,  it  was  not 
his  doing,  but  had  been  caused  by  some  who  had  slandered 
him.     Besides,  the  case  had  been  settled. 

7.  They  complained  about  his  indistinct  reading  and 
speaking.  Boehm  answered  that  this  was  a  peculiar  charge 
to  make  now  after  six  years,  when  in  the  beginning  of  his 
service  they  had  given  him  a  trial  of  six  weeks,  without  finding 
any  fault  with  him  then. 

8.  Lastly  they  charged  that  the  favorable  decision  of  the 
Council  had  been  secured  by  "sneaky"  conduct.  Boehm  re- 
plied curtly  that  that  charge  was  too  mean  to  answer. 

The  case  was  hanging  fire  before  the  Council  for  more 
than  a  year.  Boehm  appealed  to  them  time  and  again  for  a 
speedy  termination,  without  result.  Schmidt  had  evidently  his 
friends  in  the  Council,  through  whom  favorable  action  was  pre- 
vented. Finally  Boehm  became  tired  of  waiting  and  fighting 
for  his  rights.  Accordingly  he  handed  in  his  resignation  to 
take  eflfect  on  November  22,  171 5.  After  leaving  Worms  he 
went  to  Lambsheim,  a  neighboring  town,  whence  he  continued 
to  implore  the  Council  of  Worms  for  a  favorable  decision. 
But,  as  far  as  the  records  go,  it  was  never  given. ^° 

Lambsheim  is  a  little  town,  south-west  of  Worms,  near 

"The  story  of  Boehm's  life  in  Worms  was  first  given  by  the 
writer  in  a  series  of  three  articles  on  "John  Philip  Boehm,"  which  ap- 
peared in  the  Reformed  Church  Messenger,  May  12,  19,  26,  1898. 


16  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

Frankenthal.  There  Boehm  served  also  in  the  capacity  of 
Reformed  schoolmaster.  One  of  his  fellow-citizens  there  was 
Matthias  Baumann,  who  came  to  Pennsylvania  about  1718  and 
started  in  Oley,  Pennsylvania,  the  sect  of  the  New  Born. 
Boehm,  who  probably  knew  him  in  Lambsheim,  came  in  con- 
tact with  him  at  Oley. 

In  the  town  records  of  Lambsheim"  Boehm's  name  ap- 
pears repeatedly.  The  tax  records  show  that  his  salary  as 
schoolmaster  for  the  year  17 17  was  145  fl.,  on  which  he  paid 
46  Kreutzer  and  four  Heller"*  as  tax.  In  1718,  the  salary  is 
given  as  150  fi.,  on  w'hich  he  paid  a  tax  of  42  Kreutzer.  The 
position  which  Boehm  held  in  the  community  is  seen  by  the 
fact  that  in  1718  fifty  citizens  were  assessed  on  a  larger  sum 


SIGNATURE  OF  BOEHM  AS  SCHOOLMASTER  AT  LAMBSHEIM. 

than  Boehm,  while  116  citizens  were  assessed  on  a  smaller 
income  than  he. 

In  1 718,  some  trouble  arose  over  the  distribution  of  the 
community  lands  belonging  to  the  town.  On  May  12,  1718. 
Boehm  addressed  a  complaint  to  the  Electoral  "Ober-Amt"  at 
Neustadt,  claiming  that  the  heathlands  which  were  his  share 
had  been  taken  away  from  him  and  given  to  others  who  were 
not  even  citizens.  Having  married  a  daughter  of  a  citizen  and 
being  a  citizen  himself,  who  paid  his  taxes  regularly,  he 
petitioned  that  he  be  treated  like  other  citizens. 

"  These  records  were  examined  by  the  writer  in  August,  1898. 
"°A  Kreutzer  is  one-fifth,  a  Heller  one-eighth  of  a  cent;  a  Ger- 
man florin  (fl.)  about  48  cents. 


BOEHM  AS  SCHOOLMASTER  17 

The  petition  of  Boehm,  which  the  town  council  of 
Lambsheim  turned  over  to  the  writer  at  the  time  of  his  visit 
there  in  1898/-  is  interesting  enough  to  be  inserted  in  full: 

LETTER  OF  JOHN  PHIUP  BOEHM. 

To  the  Esteemed  Upper  Department  [at  Neiistadt] : 

I  cannot  forbear  addressing  to  your  Most  Noble  and 
Gracious  Lordships  the  following  complaint,  namely,  that  two 
years  ago  the  so-called  heath-rights  were  renewed,  which,  ac- 
cording to  ancient  custom,  had  been  distributed  in  such  a  way 
that  a  citizen  with  a  family  received  three,  but  one  without  a 
family  two  lots  because  of  his  citizenship.  Now  for  many 
years  ministers  as  well  as  schoolmasters  had  received  equal 
shares  with  the  other  citizens,  which  appears  from  the  indis- 
putable fact  that  the  Rev.  Moock,  who  has  been  pastor  here 
thirty  or  more  years  ago,  had  cleared  vineyards  out  of  these 
heath-lots.  Nevertheless,  in  the  renewal  of  these  lots  two 
years  ago,  ministers  and  schoolmasters  were  deprived  of  their 
lots  and  they  were  given  to  others,  even  to  those  who  were 
mere  residents.  But  inasmuch  as  I  have  settled  here  with  my 
family  and  have  married  a  daughter  of  a  citizen  here,  and  was 
at  once  held  to  a  strict  payment  of  my  taxes  as  a  citizen,  which, 
according  to  the  records,  were  paid  at  once  by  me,  I  have  re- 
peatedly complained  about  this,  inquiring  why  that  which  was 
given  to  others  was  not  accorded  to  me.  I  stated,  moreover, 
that  as  a  citizen  I  had  the  same  rights  as  others,  because  I  had 
paid  assessments  on  150  fl.  and  had  not  been  passed  over  with 
any  taxes.  But  I  was  always  answered  by  the  Assistant 
Mayor,  that  the  town  did  not  owe  this  to  the  clericals.  It  was 
under  no  compulsory  service  [to  the  clericals],  and  I  was  only  a 
schoolmaster.  This  state  of  affairs  has  continued  until  now, 
when  on  the  6th  of  this  month  the  heath-rights  were  again 
allotted  and  were  granted  even  to  those  who  had  not  paid  their 
citizens'  tax. 

I  again  appealed  to  the  town  council,  which  also  promised 
to  assist  me.     But,  owing  to  the  Assistant  Mayor,  they  were 

"  It  is  now,  together  with  the  second  petition  of  May  28,  1718, 
and  the  joint  petition  of  May  29th,  in  possession  of  the  Rev.  Prof.  J. 
I.  Good,  D.D. 


18  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

unable  to  help  me  in  my  just  request.  He,  according  to  report, 
answered  that  I  was  a  mere  schoolmaster  and  that,  if  they 
would  accede  to  the  demands  of  every  minister  and  school- 
master, they  would  have  to  give  them  half  of  the  heath.  In 
view  of  this  I  may  justly  complain  to  the  highly  esteemed 
Upper  Department. 

My  most  submissive  request  to  your  noble  and  gracious 
Lordships  is,  therefore,  to  the  effect,  that  you  will  urgently  com- 
mand the  burgomasters,  without  regard  to  the  Assistant  Mayor, 
because  of  the  reasons  given  above,  that  they  will  in  future 
regard  me  in  all  things  as  equal  to  the  other  citizens,  and  with 
respect  to  my  office  as  schoolmaster  will  treat  me  like  the 
Catholic  schoolmaster,  inasmuch  as  I  have  always  been  willing 
to  pay  my  dues  to  the  manor,  as  all  know  who  enter  the  mayor's 
office,  and  I  am  not  found  on  any  lists  of  arrears.  I,  there- 
fore, live  in  expectation  of  your  very  gracious  and  favorable 
answer. 

Highly  Esteemed  and  Gracious  Lordships  of  the  Upper 
Department, 

Your  most  submissive  Servant, 

JoHANN  Philips  Boehm, 

Reformed  Schoolmaster. 

One  statement  of  this  petition  deserves  special  notice.  It 
is  the  reference  to  the  fact  that  Boehm  had  married  the  daugh- 
ter of  a  citizen  of  Lambsheim.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  in 
Pennsylvania  the  name  of  his  father-in-law  appears  as  Philip 
Scherer,  while  his  wife's  name  in  Worms  was  Anna  Maria 
Stehler,  we  are  forced  to  the  conclusion,  that  his  first  wife  had 
died  and  that  he  had  married  a  second  wife,  whose  name  was 
Anna  Maria  Scherer.  In  corroboration  of  this  it  may  be 
mentioned  that  the  name  Philip  Scherer  appears  among  the 
citizens  of  Lambsheim  at  that  time.  Unfortunately  the  church 
records  of  Lambsheim  covering  that  period  are  lost. 

On  May  14,  1718,  the  Electoral  government  ordered  that 
ministers  and  schoolmasters  in  matters  of  public  lands  be 
treated  like  other  citizens.  When  the  town  authorities  did  not 
comply  with  this  decision  at  once,  Boehm  addressed  a  second 
petition  to  the  government  on  May  28,  1718.  in  which  he  re- 
peated the  statement  that  for  two  years  the  assistant  mayor 


BOEHM  AS  SCHOOLMASTER  19 

had  withheld  the  heath  lands  from  the  ministers  as  well  as  the 
schoolmasters.  On  the  following  day  the  Catholic  and  Re- 
formed pastors  as  well  as  the  Catholic  schoolmaster  joined 
Boehm  in  a  common  petition,  in  which  they  notified  the  gov- 
ernment that  its  decision  of  May  14th  had  been  ignored  by  the 
Council.  In  reply  the  government  decreed  that,  unless  the 
Council  complied  with  the  decree  within  eight  days  its  members 
would  be  fined  ten  rix-dollars.  Then  the  Council  yielded  and 
accorded  to  ministers  and  schoolmasters  their  rights  as  citizens. 
The  last  reference  to  Boehm  in  Lambsheim  occurs  on 
April  6,  1720.  Shortly  afterwards  he  must  have  left  Lambs- 
heim and  his  native  land,  for  in  that  very  year  1720  he  made 
his  appearance  in  Pennsylvania. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  ORDIXATION  OF  BOEHM. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  Boehm  arrived  in  Pennsyl- 
vania in  the  year  1720.  The  appeal  to  the  Classis  of  Amster- 
dam, made  by  the  Pennsylvania  churches  in  July  1728.  states 
definitely:  "Indeed,  as  early  as  the  year  1720,  there  came  over 
to  us  John  Philips  Boehm".  This  is  supported  by  other  state- 
ments. When  the  appeal  was  made  in  1728,  Boehm,  we  are 
told,  had  served  as  Reader  for  five  years  and  as  Pastor  for 
three  years,  which  carries  us  back  to  the  year  1720.  More- 
over, in  January  1739,  Boehm  stated  that  he  had  been  in  this 
country  for  eighteen  years.  This  too  points  back  to  the  year 
1720.  The  question  arises  whether  the  date  can  be  determined 
still  more  exactly.  This  seems  indeed  to  be  the  case.  An  ex- 
amination of  the  "American  Weekly  Mercury"  for  the  year 
1720  shows  that  it  announces  for  that  year  the  arrival  of  but 
one  ship  with  Palatines  in  the  harbor  of  Philadelphia.  On 
September  i,  1720,  the  "Mercury"  states:  "On  the  30  [ar- 
rived] the  ship  Laurel,  John  Coppel  [captain],  from  Liver- 
poole  and  Cork  with  240  odd  Palatine  Passengers  come  here  to 
settle"."  This  is  the  first  ship  carrying  Palatines  noticed  in 
the  "Mercury".  It  is  therefore  probable  that  John  Philip 
Boehm  arrived  at  Philadelphia  on  August  30,  1720,  with  the 
ship  "Laurel",  from  Liverpool. 

EARLIEST  REFORMED  SETTLERS. 

When  Boehm  arrived  in  Pennsylvania  in  1720.  there  must 
have  been  a  considerable  number  of  German  Reformed  people 
in  the  province.  It  will  be  of  interest  to  gather  together  the 
scattered  references  to  these  earliest  Reformed  settlers. 

Among  the  earliest  of  these  settlers  was  perhaps  Henry 

"  See  DifFenderfiFer,  German  Immigration  into  Peunsylrania,  Lan- 
caster, 1900,  p.  202. 


ORDINATION  OF  BOEHM  21 

Frey,  who  settled  in  Germantown  about  1680.^*  Rev.  H.  M. 
Muhlenberg  refers  to  him  in  1754.  He  writes:  "In  the  first 
period  [of  immigration]  from  1680  to  1708,  a  few  arrived  by 
chance,  among  whom  was  one,  named  Henrich  Frey,  whose 
wife  is  said  to  be  still  living.  He  arrived  about  the  year 
1680"."  In  1689,  Henry  Frey  occupied  lot  No.  18  in  Ger- 
mantown, on  the  west  side  of  Main  street.^®  In  1713,  Henry 
Frey  took  up  200  acres  of  land  at  Skippack,  on  which  he  paid 
quitrent  for  twelve  years  on  January  14,  1725."  Conrad  Frey, 
perhaps  a  son,  was  a  member  of  the  Goshenhoppen  Reformed 
Church  in  1740." 

There  is  said  to  be  a  tradition  in  the  Reiff  family  that 
their  ancestor,  Hans  Georg  Reiff,  arrived  in  Pennsylvania 
"before  Penn  set  up  his  government".^®  In  1730,  Hans  Georg 
Reiff  was  a  member  of  the  Reformed  Church  at  Skippack.^*^ 

In  1683,  Isaac  Dilbeck,  later  one  of  the  leading  members 
of  the  Reformed  Church  at  Whitemarsh,  came  with  Francis 
Daniel  Pastorius,  the  founder  of  Germantown.  In  an  interest- 
ing letter  of  Pastorius,  which  the  writer  had  the  good  fortune 
to  find  in  the  city  library  of  Zurich,  Switzerland,  Pastorius 
writes :  "Among  my  servants  I  have  such  as  hold  to  the  Roman, 
to  the  Lutheran,  to  the  Calvinistic,  to  the  Anabaptist  and  to 
the  Anglican  Church,  but  only  one  Ouaker".^^  The  names  of 
these  servants  are  given  by  Pastorius  in  his  Beehive,  in  which 
he  writes:  "I,  with  Jacob  Shoemaker  (who  came  with  me 
from  Mentz),  George  Wertmiiller,  Isaac  Dilbeck,  his  wife 
]\Iarieke  and  his  two  boys  Abraham  and  Jacob,  Thomas  Gasper, 
Conrad  Backer  (alias  Rutter)  and  an  English  maid,  called 
Frances  Simson,  went  on  board  of  a  ship,  which  had  the  name 
America  (the  captain  whereof  was  Joseph  Wasey)  and  being 

"  According  to  Mr.  Dotterer,  Henry  Frey  came  to  Pennsylvania 
in  1675.  On  what  authority  this  date  rests  is  not  stated.  See  Perkiomen 
Region,  II,  122.  The  claim  that  Frey  was  Reformed  is  made  with 
much  reservation.     It  is  not  at  all  certain. 

"See  Hallesche  Nachrichten,  new  ed.,  Vol.  II,  p.  194. 

"  See  Keyser,  History  of  Old  Germantown,  Vol.  I,  p.  40. 

"  See  Perkiomen  Region,  Vol.  I,  p.  53. 

"See  Perkiomen  Region,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  112. 

"  Cited  by  Mr.  Dotterer  in  Historical  Notes,  Vol.  I,  p.  14. 

**  See  Historical  Notes  of  Dotterer,  Vol.  I,  p.  103. 

"  See  Pennypacker's  Settlement  of  Germantown,  p.  136. 


22  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

gone  the  6th  of  June  [1683]  from  Gravesand,  we  arrived  the 
7th  ditto  at  Deal  and  left  England  the  loth  of  the  said  month 
of  June"."  They  reached  Philadelphia  August  20,  1683.  On 
May  27,  1686,  Pastorius  conveyed  to  Dilbeck  a  lot  of  twenty 
five  acres  in  Germantown.  Dilbeck  was  naturalized  May  7, 
1691.  In  1696,  he  sold  his  lot  in  Germantown,  buying  in  1700 
a  large  farm  of  500  acres  in  Whitemarsh  township.-^  In  17 10, 
he  was  a  member  and  deacon  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  congrega- 
tion of  Dominie  Paulus  Van  Vlecq  at  Whitemarsh. 

Regarding  the  year  1684  we  have  an  interesting  statement 
in  a  letter,  written  from  Germantown  on  February  12,  1684: 
It  reads :  "There  are  in  Pennsylvania  (besides  ourselves) 
Lutherans  and  Reformed.  The  former  have  two  preachers, 
but  their  fruits  bear  testimony  that  they  are  teachers  without 
spirit.  In  New  Castle  most  of  the  inhabitants  are  Hollanders. 
The  Reformed  have  at  present  no  preacher  there.  The  Papists 
at  that  place  have  no  congregation".^* 

This  statement  that,  besides  the  sect  people,  there  were 
Lutherans  and  Reformed  in  the  province  in  1684,  is  the  first 
direct  evidence  which  we  have  that  the  Reformed  were  nu- 
merous enough  to  call  for  a  definite  reference  to  them.  As  to 
the  Reformed  in  New  Castle  we  know  that  this  refers  to  the 
Dutch  Reformed  congregation  there,  which  was  organized  in 
1654  by  Rev.  John  Theodore  Polhemus." 

Another  early  settler  of  Germantown  was  William  De 
Wees,  who  came  to  America  about  1689.  On  May  29,  1689, 
Wilhelmina  Dewees,  his  sister,  was  married  in  the  Dutch  Re- 
formed church  of  New  York  to  Nicholas  Rittenhouse.  On 
March  i,  1700,  Gerrit  Hendricks  De  Wees  (possibly  his  father) 
bought  a  lot  of  land  on  Main  street,  in  Germantown,  which  on 
February  10,  1703,  passed  into  the  possession  of  William  De 
Wees.  In  1704,  De  Wees  was  chosen  sheriff  and  in  1706  mem- 
ber of  the  Council  of  Germantown.  In  17 10,  he  erected  the 
second  paper  mill  in  Pennsylvania,  on  the  west  side  of  the 

"  See  Prof.  Learned's  Pastorius,  p.  111. 

"  See  Dotterer  in  Historical  Notes,  p.  15f. 

"  Letter  quoted  by  Dr.  Dubbs,  in  Reformed  Church  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, p.  63. 

'°  See  Corwin,  Manual  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  America, 
fourth  ed.,  pp.  663,991. 


ORDINATION  OF  BOEHM  23 

Wissahickon,  in  that  part  of  Germantown,  called  Crefeld.  In 
the  same  year  1710,  he  was  made  deacon  of  the  Dutch  Re- 
formed congregation  of  Whitemarsh.  When  Boehm  organized 
his  congregation  at  Whitemarsh,  William  De  Wees  became  one 
of  the  elders,  in  whose  house  Boehm  held  his  services  at  White- 
marsh.^® 

Cornelius  De  Wees  and  Garret  De  Wees,  relatives  (pos- 
sibly brothers)  of  William  De  Wees,  also  located  at  or  near 
Germantown.  On  May  29,  17 10,  Cornelius  De  Wees  and  his 
wife  Margaret  Koster  brought  their  son  John  to  Dominie 
Paulus  Van  Vlecq  for  baptism  at  Skippack. 

In  1698,  Evert  ten  Heuven  (In  De  Haven)  came  from 
Miihlheim  on  the  Ruhr.  On  June  4,  17 10,  he  was  installed 
Junior  elder  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  congregation  at  White- 
marsh. His  wife,  Elizabeth  Schipbouwer,  was  also  a  member 
of  that  congregation.  Gerhart  In  de  Haven  doubtless  a  son, 
was  in  1730  elder  of  the  German  Reformed  congregation  at 
Skippack,  Herman  ten  Heuven  (a  brother  of  the  last)  and 
Annecken  Op  den  Graf  were  married  on  February  12,  1711,  by 
Dominie  Van  Vlecq  at  Whitemarsh.^'' 

As  early  as  1699,  Hendrick  Pannebecker  lived  in  German- 
town,  for  he  was  married  there  in  that  year  to  Eva,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Hans  Peter  Umstatt.  In  1702,  he  settled  at  Skippack. 
On  May  29,  17 10,  they  brought  to  Dominie  Van  Vlecq  at  Skip- 
pack  three  children  for  baptism,  Adolf,  Martha  and  Peter.  A 
relative,  Frederick  Pannebecker,  was  in  1736  member  of  the 
New  Goshenhoppen  Reformed  Church.^® 

On  December  23,  1701,  Hans  Hendrick  Meels  bought  half 
a  lot  of  land,  on  Main  street  in  Germantown.  In  the  same 
year  he  was  chosen  Recorder  of  Germantown.  On  June  4, 
1 7 10,  he  was  installed  Senior  elder  of  the  Reformed  congrega- 
tion of  Whitemarsh.^® 

Of  the  year  1701  we  have  Lutheran  testimony  regarding 
the  Reformed  people  in  the  province.     On  August  i,  1 701, Rev. 

"  For  a  sketch  of  William  Dewees  see  Dotterer's  History  of  the 
Church  at  Market  Square,  Germantown,  in  Historical  Notes,  pp.  23-25. 

"  See  Dotterer,  Historical  Notes,  p.  25. 

"  See  the  Life  of  Hendrick  Pannebecker,  1674-1754,  by  Hon. 
Samuel  W.  Pennypacker,  Philadelphia,  1894. 

'•  See  Dotterer,  Historical  Notes,  p.  26. 


24  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

Justus   Falckner  wrote  to  Rev.   Henry   Muhlen   in   Holstein, 
Germany : 

"According  to  their  confession  the  local  Protestants,  as 
they  are  comprehended  under  that  name  in  the  European 
Roman  Empire,  are  either  Evangelical  Lutherans  or  of  the 
Presbyterian  and  Calvinistic  Church.  And  as  the  Protestant 
church  is  here  also  divided  into  three  nations,  so  there  are  here 
an  English  Protestant  church  and  a  Swedish  Protestant  Lu- 
theran church,  and  also  persons  of  the  German  nation  of  the 
Evangelical  Lutheran  and  Reformed  churches.  About  these 
more  at  another  time".^° 

In  1702,  John  Rebenstock  came  to  Germantown.  He 
owned  lot  No.  2,  containing  two  hundred  acres,  in  the  section 
of  Germantown  called  Sommerhausen.  In  171 1,  he  was  a 
member  of  Dominie  Van  Vlecq's  Whitemarsh  congregation. 
In  1728,  he  was  an  officer  of  Boehm's  Whitemarsh  church.^^ 

In  the  same  year  1702  arrived  Michael  Renberg,  with  his 
sons  Dirck  and  Wilhelm,  from  Miihlheim  on  the  Ruhr.  On 
November  3,  171 1,  William  Renberg  and  Jannetye  Van  Sandt 
were  married  by  Dominie  Van  Vlecq.  Dirck  Renberg  and  his 
wife  Stijntje  (Christina)  Hendricks  had  their  son  Jan  baptized 
by  pastor  Van  Vlecq  on  May  29,  1710.  Another  child  of  theirs. 
Gertruy,  was  baptized  by  Van  Vlecq  on  May  25,  1712.^- 

Another  person  who  arrived  in  Germantown  in  1702  was 
Peter  Bon.  On  May  29,  1710,  Pieter  Bon  and  Elizabeth  Op 
de  Graf,  brought  a  daughter  to  Dominie  Van  Vlec(]  for  baptism 
at  Skippack.  On  April  i,  1711,  Pieter  Bon,  widower  of  Eliza- 
beth Op  de  Graf,  and  Gerretye  Jansen  were  married  by  the 
Dutch  Dominie.^^ 

On  June  4,  17 10,  Dominie  Paulus  Van  Vlecq  organized  a 
Reformed  Church  at  Whitemarsh,  installing  on  that  day  the 

"Quoted  in  part  by  Dr.  Schmaiik  in  his  History  of  the  Lutheran 
Church  in  Pennsylvania,  p.  128. 

"  See  Dotterer,  Historical  Notes,  p.  26. 

^'  Pennypacker.  Settlement  of  Gcrmantoivn,  p.  191 ;  and  Journal 
of  Presbyterian  Historical  Society,  Vol.  I,  pp.  122,  128. 

"  Pennypacker,  Germantown,  p.  191 ;  Journal  of  Presbyterian 
Hist.  Society.  Vol.  I,  pp.  122, 124. 


-  *  /  -/ 


/ 


;">««.^  ■  i;r 


—"•-«tf*^tifrTft>7"  >'   III  ■  i  \  i'i*ft1r«i  ililMiiiMtfJW(iii^Hi.ji'iii  I.I  r 


FIRST     PAGE    OF     NESHAMINY    AND    BENSAEEM     RECORD,     THE    OLDEST 

(dutch)     REFORMED    RECORD    IN     PENNSYLVANIA,     RECORDING 

ORGANIZATION  OF  WHITEMARSH  CHURCH,  JUNE  4,   17IO 

{By  Courtesy  of  Presbyterian  Historical  Society) 


ORDINATION  OF  BOEHM  25 

following  elders  and  deacons:  Hans  Hendrick  Meels  and 
Evert  ten  Heuven  as  elders,  Isaac  Dilbeck  and  William  De 
Wees  as  deacons.  The  congregation  at  Whitemarsh  consisted 
in  1710  of  the  following  members:^* 

Hans  Hendrick  Meels,  Evert  ten  Heuven,  Isaac  Dilbeck, 
William  De  Wees,  Jan  Aweeg,  Johannes  Yodder,  Antonie 
Gerckes,  Johannes  Revenstock,  Gertruy  Rembergh,  Elisabet 
Schipbouwer,  wife  of  E.  ten  Heuven,  Marritye  Bloemers,  wife 
of  I.  Dilbeck,  Catrina  Meels,  wife  of  W.  De  Wees.  Gertruy 
Aweeg,  Anneken  Barents,  wife  of  J.  Pieterse,  Maria  Sella, 
wife  of  G.  ten  Heuven.  On  December  25,  1710,  were  received 
by  profession:  Sebastian  Bartels  and  his  wife  Marytye  Hen- 
dricks, and  Kaspar  Staels.  On  March  31,  171 1,  were  received: 
Elsye  Schol,  Sibilla  Revenstock,  wife  of  Hendrick  Tibben  and 
Margriet  Bon,  wife  of  Kasper  Staels. 

These  twenty-one  Reformed  church  members  at  White- 
marsh  were  among  the  earliest  Reformed  settlers  in  the 
province. 

To  these  members  should  be  added  Gabriel  Schuler.  In 
September,  171 1,  Gabriel  Schuler  and  Margriet  Aweegh  were 
married  by  Dominie  Van  Vlecq.  On  September  28,  1734,  he 
paid  quitrent  on  one  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Skippack,  for 
sixteen  years  in  full.  Hence  he  must  have  settled  there  as 
early  as  1718.  In  1728,  Gabriel  Schuler  was  one  of  the  ofiicers 
of  Boehm's  congregation  at  Skippack. 

A  fact  worthy  of  special  note  and  emphasis  is  that  among 
these  people  who  belonged  to  Van  Vlecq's  Whitemarsh  con- 
gregation in  1710,  John  Philip  Boehm  found  the  nucleus  for 
his  congregations  in  1725.  Isaac  Dilbeck,  William  De  Wees 
and  John  Rebenstock  were  the  three  most  prominent  members 
of  Boehm's  Whitemarsh  congregation,  while  Gerhart  ten 
Heuven  and  Gabriel  Schuler  became  the  two  leading  members 
in  the  Skippack  congregation. 

Two  other  early  Reformed  settlers  deserve  to  be  men- 
tioned : 

"The  church  record  of  Van  Vlecq  was  published  by  the  writer 
in  the  Journal  of  the  Presbyterian  Historical  Society,  Vol.  I,  pp.  118-134. 


26  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

On  January  15,  17 18,  Peter  Wents  (Wentz)^^  paid  quit- 
rent  on  one  hundred  acres  for  ten  years  and  on  fifty  acres  for 
fourteen  years,  located  near  Skippack.  Hence  he  must  have 
settled  there  as  early  as  1704.  In  1730,  Peter  Wentz  was  a 
member  of  the  Skippack  Reformed  church,  an  adherent  of 
Rev.  George  Michael  Weiss.  Members  of  the  Wentz  family 
were  among  the  founders  of  Wentz's  church  in  Worcester 
township,  the  successor  of  the  old  Skippack  church. 

In  1719,  John  Lefeber  took  up  500  acres  of  land  in  Wor- 
cester township,  for  which  he  paid  quitrent  on  February  6, 
1734,  for  fifteen  years. ^^  John  Lefeber  was  one  of  the  officers 
of  Boehm's  congregation  at  Skippack  in  1728.  In  1730,  he 
sided  with  Rev.  G.  M.  Weiss. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  second  decade  of  the  eighteenth 
century  immigrants  from  Gennany  had  become  so  numerous 
that  they  attracted  the  attention  of  the  government.  On  Sep- 
tember 7,  17 1 7,  Governor  William  Keith  reported  to  the  Pro- 
vincial Council,  "that  great  numbers  of  foreigners  from  Ger- 
many, strangers  to  our  Languages  and  Constitutions,  having 
lately  been  imported  into  this  Province  daily  dispersed  them- 
selves immediately  after  Landing,  without  producing  any  Cer- 
tificates from  whence  they  came  and  what  they  were".     The 

"Peter  Wentz  was  an  extensive  landowner.  April  11,  1711, 
Thomas  Fairman,  of  Shackamaxon,  sold  lOO  acres  in  Bristol,  Phila. 
Co.,  to  Peter  Wentz,  of  Chestnut  Hill,  Germantown.  In  1713  he  signed 
petition  for  Skippack  road.  August  11,  1715,  William  Willis  sold  to 
Peter  Wentz  250  acres  in  Bristol  township  for  £85.  His  will  is  dated 
June  7,  1745.  It  was  probated  December  5,  1749.  His  wife's  name 
was  Elizabeth.  Their  children  were:  (1)  Jacob,  married,  Elizabeth; 
(2)  Peter,  born  November  19,  1719;  died  Sept.  13,  1793;  married 
Rosanna;  (3)  Philip,  born  Oct.  1.  1722;  died  Dec.  30,  1803;  married 
Appolonia  Hartman ;  (4)  Abraham,  died  about  1781;  married  Mary 
Wentz;  (5)  Catharine,  died  1745;  married  (a)  Henry  Snyder,  (b) 
Simon  Hurdy  Haker.  Peter  Wentz,  Sr.,  his  wife,  his  children  and 
grandchildren  to  the  number  of  36,  are  buried  in  the  cemetery  near 
Skippackville.  Peter  Wentz,  Jr.,  and  Philip  Wentz  were  among  the 
trustees  of  the  Wentz  Reformed  Church  property  in  Worcester  town- 
ship, when  that  was  acquired  in  January,  1762.  See  "Early  History 
of  Wentz's  Reformed  Church,"  in  Journal  of  Presb.  Hist.  Sac,  Vol. 
Ill,  pp.  332-346. 

"  See  "Payments  for  Land  in  Perkiomen  County"  in  Dotterer's 
Perkiomen  Region,  Vol.  I,  p.  104. 


ORDINATION  OF  BOEHM  27 

Council  ordered  that  no  vessel  be  admitted  to  entry,  "until  the 
master  shall  first  give  an  exact  List  of  all  their  passengers  im- 
ported by  them".^^  Never  had  a  government  scare  more  bene- 
ficial results,  for  to  it  we  owe  the  preservation  of  more  than 
thirty  thousand  names  of  immigrants,  who  entered  the  harbor 
of  Philadelphia  from  1727-1775. 

The  year  1710  is  named  as  the  beginning  of  a  larger  influx 
of  Reformed  settlers,  in  the  appeal  of  Boehm's  congregations, 
sent  to  Holland  in  1728.     They  write: 

"In  this  widely  extended  region,  Pennsylvania,  where  the 
first  settlers  bearing  the  name  of  Christians  were  Quakers,  and 
whither  men  of  all  sorts  of  sentiments  have  come,  about 
eighteen  years  ago  [1710]  there  came  from  time  to  time  here 
and  there,  widely  separated  from  one  another,  some  of  the  Re- 
formed faith,  from  different  parts  of  Germany  and  other 
places,  and  also  some  few  from  the  neighboring  Provinces  of 
New  York  and  New  Jersey". 

Regarding  the  religious  condition  of  these  earliest  arrivals 
the  same  writers  continue : 

"These,  having  in  time  grown  to  a  number,  in  order  not  to 
fall  into  the  errors  of  those  among  whom  they  dwelt,  stirred 
up  and  encouraged  each  other  to  hold  religious  meetings  on  the 
Lord's  day,  etc.,  according  to  the  doctrine  and  order  of  the 
Reformed  Church,  so  far  as  it  was  known  to  them". 

A  report  regarding  the  Reformed  Church  of  Pennsylvania, 
printed  in  Holland  in  1731,  refers  to  this  earliest  period  as 
follows : 

"The  German  Palatines  migrating  from  their  own  country 
to  Pennsylvania  were  unable  to  provide  themselves  with 
ministers.  Finding  no  religious  worship  many,  attracted  by 
the  good  morals  and  blameless  conduct  of  the  Quakers,  joined 
themselves  to  them,  preferring  their  worship  to  none". 

Rev.  Jedidiah  Andrews,  pastor  of  the  old  Buttonwood 
Presbyterian  Church  in  Philadelphia,  writes  to  a  friend  in 
Boston,  under  date  October  14,  1730.  He  also  throws  light 
on  the  religious  condition  of  the  earliest  Reformed  settlers. 
He  writes : 

"There  is  besides,  in  this  Province,  a  vast  number  of  Pala- 

"  See  Colonial  Records,  First  Series,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  29. 


28  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

tines,  and  they  come  in  still,  every  year.  Those  who  have  come 
of  late  years,  are,  mostly  Presbyt'n,  or  as  they  call  themselves, 
Reformed  .  .  .  they  did  use  to  come  to  me  for  baptism 
for  their  children,  and  many  have  joined  with  us  in  the  other 
sacram't".^® 

This  statement  of  Rev.  Mr.  Andrews  is  corroborated  by 
Boehm's  report  of  1744,  in  which  he  writes:  "Formerly,  when 
there  were  no  Reformed  services  in  this  countr\',  the  Reformed 
people  at  Falckner  Schwam,  Schipbach  and  Witmarsh  came 
together  and  when  they  took  communion  it  was  with  the 
Presbyterians  in  Philadelphia,  up  to  the  year  1725". 

When  John  Philip  Boehm  arrived  in  Pennsylvania  in  1720, 
and  settled  in  the  Perkiomen  valley,  his  Reformed  neighbors 
persuaded  him,  "shortly  after  his  arrival",  to  hold  religious  ser- 
vices for  them,  in  which  he  acted  as  their  reader.  Thus  he 
"maintained  the  ministry  of  the  Word,  to  the  best  of  his  ability, 
and  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  the  people,  for  five  years,  with- 
out any  compensation". 

When  in  1725  the  number  of  Reformed  settlers  in  the 
Perkiomen  valley  had  grown  to  fifty  men,  they  urged  upon 
Boehm  the  necessity  of  assuming  the  office  of  minister  among 
them,  as  there  was  apparently  no  prospect  of  securing  the 
services  of  a  regularly  ordained  pastor.  Boehm  objected  at 
first  strenuously,  interposing  to  their  arguments  the  plea  that 
his  family  needed  his  services.  But,  as  his  friends  continued 
to  urge  him,  offering  to  support  him  with  voluntary  contribu- 
tions to  the  best  of  their  ability,  and  pleading  with  tears  in  their 
eyes,  that  he  could  not  justify  his  refusal  before  God,  he  felt 
constrained  to  yield  to  their  entreaties.  The  urgent  need  as 
represented  by  the  delegates  and  their  own  earnest  plea  are 
recorded  vividly  in  Boehm's  report  of  1744.  He  then  wrote: 
"Accordingly  they  resolved  once  more  urgently  to  request  me, 
although  for  full  five  years  I  had  declined  to  do  so  that  I  would 
become  their  pastor.     This  was  so  touchingly  represented  to 

"The  letter  of  Rev.  Mr.  Andrews  was  first  printed  in  Hazard's 
Register,  Vol.  XV,  p.  200f.  Rev.  Jedidiah  .-Andrews  was  pastor  of  the 
Old  Buttonwood  Presbyterian  Church  (built  1704,  enlarged  1729)  from 
his  arrival  in  Philadelphia  in  the  fall  of  1698  to  his  death  in  1747. 


ORDINATION  OF  BOEHM  29 

me  by  two  of  their  number  thereunto  commissioned,^®*  that  our 
hearts  meUed  together  in  tears,  and  in  the  name  of  all  the  people 
it  was  pressed  upon  my  conscience  whether  I  had  the  courage  to 
answer  for  it  at  the  last  judgment,  if  I  should  leave  them  thus 
without  help  and  allow  so  many  souls  to  remain  scattered 
among  all  kinds  of  sects,  of  which  this  country  is  filled.  I 
thought  indeed  that  it  would  be  better  for  me  if  I  could  escape 
this  yoke  and  support  my  family  with  my  work  and  agriculture, 
but  I  was  convinced  by  my  conscience  that  I  could  not  do 
otherwise.  I  allowed  myself  therefore  to  be  persuaded  to  this 
work". 

The  first  act  of  the  new  pastor  was  to  draw  up  a  con- 
stitution, which  he  read  before  his  people  and  caused  them  to 
subscribe  individually.  The  charge  was  then  (in  1725)  divided 
into  three  congregations,  one  at  Falkner  Swamp,  the  second  at 
Skippack  and  the  third  at  Whitemarsh.  As  soon  as  the  con- 
gregations were  constituted,  Boehm  was  elected  as  pastor  by 
each  one  of  them.  A  regular  call  was  issued  to  him,  which  he 
accepted.  Thus  he  "began  the  ministry  of  the  Lord  in  His 
name".  After  preaching  a  few  times  to  his  congregations,  the 
Lord's  Supper  was  celebrated.  At  Falkner  Swamp  forty 
members  communed  on  October  15,  1725,  at  Skippack  thirty- 
seven  members  in  November,  1725,  and  at  Whitemarsh  twenty- 
four  members  on  December  23,  1725.  These  services  were  the 
beginning  of  regular  Reformed  worship  in  Pennsylvania. 

But  hardly  had  this  auspicious  beginning  been  made,  when 
all  future  progress  was  blocked,  at  least  temporarily,  by  an  im- 
portant event.  It  was  the  arrival  of  the  first  ordained  Re- 
formed minister  in  Pennsylvania. 

REV.  GEORGE  MICHAEL  WEISS. 

On  September  21,  1727,  there  appeared  in  the  Court 
House  at  Philadelphia  the  Rev.  George  Michael  Weiss  at  the 
head  of  a  colony  of  one  hundred  and  nine  Palatines,  who 
together  with  their  families  numbering  about  four  hundred 
persons,  had  come  with  the  ship  "William  and  Sarah",  Captain 
William   Hill,   from   Rotterdam.     They  were  the   first  immi- 

^"^  One  of  the  men  was  certainly  Henry  Antes,  as  we  know  from 
Boehm's  book  of  1742.     The  other  was  most  likely  William  DeWees. 


30  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

grants  to  sign  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  English  king, 
George  11.^® 

Mr.  Weiss  had  in  his  possession  a  Latin  certificate  from 
the  Upper  Consistory  of  Heidelberg,  dated  Heidelberg,  I\Iay  i, 
1727,  which  showed  that  planning  "with  some  of  his  fellow- 
citizens  and  other  friends  well  known  to  him,  to  undertake  a 
journey  to  the  parts  of  the  world  across  the  sea",  he  had 
petitioned  the  Consistory  for  ordination  and  had  secured  the 
same,  so  that  he  might  be  fully  qualified  to  minister  to  the 
spiritual  needs  of  his  countrymen  in  Pennsylvania.*" 

Judging  from  Boehm's  report  of  1744,  the  real  leader  of 
the  colony  was  Frederick  Hillegas,  who  with  his  two  brothers 
had  been  a  resident  of  Pennsylvania  and  who  had  evidently 
gone  back  to  Gennany  to  organize  this  colony.     This  inter- 


SIGNATURE  OF  REV.  G.   M.  WEISS. 

pretation  gives  full  significance  to  the  words  of  Boehm  :  "After 
that  time  Frederick  Hillegas  arrived  in  this  country  with  a 
companion.  He  had  also  two  brothers,  called  Peter  and 
Michael,  residing  at  Philadelphia,  but  he  himself  resided  at 
New  Goshenhoppen.  He  brought  with  him  the  well  known 
Mr.  George  Michael  Weiss,  a  youthful  preacher  .  .  ., 
whom  he  sought  to  force  in  a  violent  manner  and  in  a  shameful 
way  into  all  my  congregations  here". 

Weiss  at  once  proceeded  to  establish  himself  as  the  chief 
Reformed  minister  of  the  province.     He  visited  the  various 

"  Rupp's,   Thirty  Thousand  Names  of  Immigrants,  Philadelphia, 
1880,  p.  49;  Pennsylvania  Archives,  Second  Series,  Vol.  XVII,  p.  7. 

*"  Weiss  placed  a  transcript  of  this  certificate  into  the  old  church 
record  of  the  Catskill  Reformed  Church,  N.  Y.,  from  which  the  writer 
copied  it  recently. 


ORDIXATIOX  OF  BOEHM  31 

Reformed  settlements  and  organized  the  Reformed  people 
there  into  regular  congregations.  Thus  he  visited  Goshenhop- 
pen  and  administered  the  Lord's  Supper  there  on  October  12, 
1727.  This  is  the  first  date  in  the  history  of  that  congregation. 
A  week  later,  on  October  19th,  he  preached  at  Skippack,  and 
on  the  next  Sunday,  October  26th,  at  Philadelphia.  In  Phila- 
delphia a  regular  organization  was  effected  before  the  close  of 
the  year  1727.  "In  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  seven 
hundred  and  twenty-seven,  they  formed  themselves  into  a  re-  y^ 
ligious  society,  as  near  as  they  could  upon  the  model  of  the 
German  Reformed  Church,  and  they  unanimously  chose  to 
themselves  George  Michael  Weitzius  (alias  Weiss)  in  the  bill 
named  for  their  pastor  .  .  .  Peter  Lecolie,  Johan  Wilhelm 
Rohrig,  Hendrick  Weller,  and  Geo.  Peter  Hillegas  were  then 
elected  church  wardens  or  elders  for  the  German  Reformed 
Church  of  Philadelphia"."  In  the  same  year  1727  the  congre- 
gation of  Germantown  was  organized  by  Weiss.  Shortly 
afterwards  Weiss  visited  Oley,  where  he  preached  and  baptized 
children,  among  them  even  some  Indian  children.  This  is  un- 
doubtedly one  of  the  earliest  Indian  baptisms  in  Pennsylvania 
on  record. 

But  Weiss  was  not  satisfied  with  simply  occupying  new 
fields.  When  he  heard  that  Boehm,  a  farmer  and  layman, 
was  preaching  to  various  Reformed  congregations,  he  at  once 
declared  his  work  illegal.  Wherever  he  preached  he  notified 
the  people  that  Boehm  was  "an  incompetent  preacher  whom  he 
did  not  regard  fit  to  administer  the  sacraments".  He  also  in- 
vaded the  congregations  of  Boehm,  in  order  to  convince  his 
people  that  he  had  no  right  to  persist  in  his  unlawful  ministry. 
On  October  2,  1727,  he  wrote  a  letter  to  Hans  George  Schwab, 
one  of  his  traveling  companions  on  his  journey  across  the 
ocean.  He,  with  some  of  his  friends,  had  settled  in  the 
Conestoga  valley.  Weiss  informed  him  that  he  was  ready  to 
hold  a  communion  service  in  the  Conestoga  region  and  he 
asked  that  he  be  notified  as  to  the  time  when  and  the  place 
where  such  service  could  be  held.  In  the  same  letter  he  also 
warned  the  people  of  Conestoga  against  Boehm,  telling  them 

"  See  "Papers  in  the  ReifiF  Case,  1730-1749,"  printed  by  Prof.  Jos. 
H.  Dubbs,  in  the  Reformed  Quarterly  Review,  Vol.  XV,  (1893),  p.  60. 


32  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

that  he  could  not  recognize  him  as  a  Reformed  teacher  and 
preacher,  until  he  had  submitted  to  an  examination  and  had 
been  regularly  ordained,  which,  however,  he  declared,  "he  will 
never  be  able  to  do". 

Not  satisfied  with  this,  Weiss  went  even  a  step  farther.  In 
order  to  compel  Boehm  to  desist  from  his  ministry,  he  sum- 
moned him,  on  November  28,  1727,  to  appear  in  the  manse  of 
the  Presbyterian  minister  of  Philadelphia,  the  Rev.  Jedidiah 
Andrews,  that  he  might  be  examined  as  to  his  qualifications. 
As  Weiss  had  no  legal  power  to  issue  such  a  summons,  Boehm 
paid  no  attention  to  it. 

The  most  serious  clash  between  the  two  men  occurred  at 
Skippack.  With  the  aid  of  his  friends  Weiss  organized  a 
separate  congregation  there.  When  he  preached  there  Feb- 
ruary II,  1728,  he  brought  with  him  some  of  his  adherents 
from  Philadelphia,  Peter  and  Michael  Hillegas  and  Michael 
Schmidt,  "who  persuaded  the  people  to  the  utmost  of  their 
power  to  give  me  up,  and  subscribe  an  annual  salary  for  Mr. 
Weiss.  This  was  done  by  many  whose  names  are  also  found 
on  my  voluntary  subscription  list".  The  result  was  that 
Boehm  was  compelled  to  serve  those  who  were  faithful  to  him 
at  Skippack  without  any  salary. 

An  open  break  occurred  on  March  10,  1728,  when  Weiss 
with  his  Philadelphia  adherents  came  to  Skippack  on  a  Sun- 
day when  Boehm  was  to  preach  there.  The  Philadelphians 
then  expelled  Boehm  from  his  usual  meeting  place,  the  private 
house  of  Jacob  Reiff.  By  this  act  Boehm  was  compelled  to 
meet  with  his  faithful  friends  in  other  houses  here  and  there. 
Reiff  was  also  persuaded  by  the  opponents  of  Boehm  to  secure 
in  his  name  a  deed  to  the  land,  on  which  Boehm  and  his 
elders  had  begun  to  build  a  little  log  church.  This  church, 
the  first  Reformed  church  in  Pennsylvania,  was  dedicated  on 
June  22,  1729,  by  Weiss  and  his  followers.  The  separate  or- 
ganization of  Weiss's  friends  at  Skippack  was  completed  by 
the  election  of  a  consistory.  The  new  elders  were:  Wendel 
Keiber,  Gerhart  In  de  Haven,  Christopher  Schmidt  and  Hans 
George  Reiff.*" 

"See  letter  of  the  followers  of  Weiss  at  Skippack,  dated  May 
10,  1730.     Signatures  printed  in  Dotterer,  Histoncal  Notes,  p.  103. 


ORDINATION  OF  BOEHM  33 

When  the  adherents  of  Weiss  attacked  the  vaHdity  of 
Boehm's  ministry,  the  friends  of  Boehm  retahated  by  ques- 
tioning Weiss'  ordination.  This  compelled  Weiss  to  produce 
his  certificate  of  ordination,  issued  by  the  Palatinate  Consis- 
tory, on  May  i,  1727.  But  it  was  in  Latin  which  none  was 
able  to  read.  It  was  therefore  rejected  as  unsatisfactory. 
Hence  Weiss  was  compelled  to  write  to  Heidelberg,  on  De- 
cember 2,  1727,  for  a  German  certificate,  which  was  sent  to 
him  on  April  26,  1728.  In  his  letter  to  Heidelberg  Weiss 
"gave  information  to  the  Ecclesiastical  Council  of  the  Palati- 
nate concerning  the  present  condition  of  religious  and  ecclesias- 
tical affairs  there."*^  The  effect  of  this  letter  was  that  the 
Upper  Consistory  of  the  Palatinate  wrote  to  the  Synod  of 
South  Holland,  requesting  aid  for  the  poor  German  fellow 
believers  in  Pennsylvania.  This  was  the  first  time  that  the 
condition  of  the  German  Reformed  people  of  Pennsylvania 
was  brought  to  the  attention  of  the  Reformed  Church  of 
Holland. 

When  the  Synod  of  South  Holland  met  at  Woerden,  from 
July  6-16,  1728,  "a.  letter  was  read  by  the  president,  written 
by  the  Great  Consistory  of  Heidelberg,  in  which  a  request  was 
made  for  a  charitable  contribution  towards  the  building  of  a 
church  in  Pennsylvania  for  our  fellow-believers,  who  have  re- 
moved thither,  inasmuch  as  they  are  compelled  to  hold  their 
divine  services  under  the  blue  sky."  This  appeal  of  the  Heidel- 
berg Consistory  was  the  first  link  in  the  chain,  which  was 
to  bind  together  the  Reformed  churches  of  Pennsylvania  and 
the  Church  of  Holland  for  more  than  sixty  years. 

But  even  before  the  German  certificate  of  Weiss  could 
reach  Pennsylvania,  the  friends  of  Boehm,  instead  of  forsak- 
ing their  leader,  determined  to  remove,  if  possible,  the  ob- 
jection to  his  ministry  as  that  of  an  unauthorized  layman.  To 
that  end  Boehm  and  his  most  prominent  elder,  William  De 
Wees,  were  sent  to  New  York  to  confer  with  the  Dutch  Re- 
formed ministers  of  New  York  and  Long  Island,  Revs.  Gual- 
therus  Du  Bois,  Henricus  Boel  and  Vincentius  Antonides. 
They  met  them  in  New  York  on  May  16,  1728,  and  laid  before 

**  See  the  text  and  translation  of  the  German  certificate,  printed 
m  C.  Z.  Weiser,  Monograph  of  the  New  Goshenhoppen  and  Great 
Swamp  Reformed  Charge,  Reading,  1882,  pp.  28-31. 


34  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

them  their  whole  situation.  The  New  York  ministers  in- 
formed them  that,  upon  their  own  authority,  they  were  un- 
able to  help  them,  but  they  advised  them  to  report  their  case 
at  length  to  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam  and  to  petition  the 
Classis  to  legitimize  the  ministry  of  Boehm  by  ordination.  In 
compliance  with  this  advice  the  consistories  of  Boehm's  con- 
gregations drew  up  an  elaborate  petition  to  the  Classis,  in 
which  they  reviewed  their  religious  life  in  Pennsylvania,  ex- 
plained why  Boehm  had  been  forced  by  circumstances  to  as- 
sume the  duties  of  the  ministry,  spread  before  them  the  con- 
stitution which  they  had  adopted  for  the  government  of  their 
churches,  and  requested  the  Classis  to  assist  them  in  making 
the  ministry  of  Mr.  Boehm  legitimate  by  conferring  ordina- 
tion upon  him.  They  describe  Boehm  as  "a  man  of  more  than 
common  knowledge  in  the  sound  doctrine  of  truth,  of  praise- 
worthy life  and  of  exemplary  zeal  in  resisting  error  and  guard- 
ing the  ignorant  against  it." 

This  petition  to  the  Classis,  accompanied  by  a  separate 
letter  of  Boehm  as  well  as  by  his  written  confession  of  faith,** 
was  sent  to  Holland  by  the  ministers  of  New  York  on  August 
15,  1728.  These  documents  reached  Holland  in  November. 
1728.  On  November  14,  1728.  the  Classical  minutes  state: 
"It  was  reported  by  Rev.  Houthof  that  the  Deputati  ad  res 
exteras  had  received  a  communication  from  New  York  in 
regard  to  the  German  churches  in  Pennsylvania.  The  Deputati 
were  thereupon  requested  to  write  comfortingly  to  those  con- 
gregations, and  to  assure  them  of  the  future  consideration  of 
this  case,  and  an  answer  thereto  and  to  furnish  this  Classis 
with  a  report  thereon".*^ 

In  accordance  with  this  resolution  the  Deputies  wrote  on 
November  28,  1728,  to  the  churches  of  Boehm,  expressing 
sympathy  with  them  in  their  distressed  condition  and  assuring 
them  that  their  petition  would  receive  the  careful  consideration 
and  mature  judgment  of  the  Classis  at  its  next  meeting.  On 
December  i,  1728,  a  similar  letter  was  sent  to  the  ministers 
at  New  York.     The   Deputies  of  the   Classis   reported   their 

"This  important  document  is  no  longer  in  existence. 
"See  Ecclesiastical  Records   of  State   of  New   York,  Vol.   IV, 
p.  2440. 


ORDINATION  OF  BOEHM  35 

opinion  on  January  ii,  1729,  which  was  adopted  by  Classis. 
But,  as  there  was  no  opportunity  to  send  a  letter  during  the 
winter,  the  answer  of  Classis  to  the  Pennsylvania  churches 
was  delayed  till  June,  1729. 

Finally  on  June  20,  1729,  the  Classis  through  its  deputy, 
J.  Bakker,  sent  off  three  letters,  one  to  the  brethren  in  Penn- 
sylvania, one  to  Mr.  Boehm  and  one  to  the  ministers  of  New 
York.  The  answer  of  Classis  was  to  the  effect  that  the 
call  extended  to  Boehm  had  all  the  inherent  elements  of  a 
legal  call,  that  therefore  his  ministerial  acts  should  be  recog- 
nized as  legal,  that  his  ordination  should  be  consummated  by 
one  of  the  ministers  of  New  York,  either  in  Pennsylvania  or 
in  New  York  or  at  a  place  agreed  upon  by  both  parties,  that 
Boehm  before  his  ordination  should  accept  the  Heidelberg  Cate- 
chism and  the  Formulas  of  Unity  of  the  Synod  of  Dort,  and 
that  the  constitution  adopted  by  the  Pennsylvania  churches 
was  regarded  useful  and  effective  for  their  government  and 
hence  its  use  was  permitted  by  Classis.  When  this  answer 
reached  Pennsylvania,  on  November  4,  1729,  (having  been  sent 
from  New  York  to  Philadelphia  by  special  messenger),  it 
created  the  greatest  joy  in  the  congregations  of  Boehm,  as 
can  be  seen  from  Boehm's  letter  to  the  Classis,  dated  January 
29,  1730:  "We  could  not  receive  this  letter  without  tears, 
because  of  our  surprize  and  heart-thrilling  joy,  considering 
that  the  Reverend  Classis  had  so  graciously  listened  to  the 
prayers  of  us  poor  people". 

Steps  were  at  once  taken  to  secure  the  ordination  of  Boehm 
as  speedily  as  possible.  Three  commissioners  were  appointed 
on  November  4,  one  from  each  congregation,  to  accompany 
Boehm  to  New  York,  Frederick  Antes  of  Falkner  Swamp, 
Gabriel  Schuler  of  Skippack  and  William  De  Wees  of  White- 
marsh.  The  delegates  appeared  with  Boehm  before  the  Dutch 
ministers  in  New  York,  November  18,  1729.  The  letter  of  the 
Classis  was  duly  considered.  Boehm  and  his  delegates  de- 
clared their  adherence  to  the  Heidelberg  Catechism  and  the 
Formulas  of  Unity.  They  promised  to  maintain  correspond- 
ence with  the  Classis  and  to  exert  themselves  to  secure  the 
regular  payment  of  Boehm's  salary. 

On  November  20,  1729,  the  consistory  of  the  Dutch  Re- 
formed Church  of  New  York  met  and  resolved  that  its  ministers 


36 


LIFE  OF  BOEHM 


should  proceed  to  carry  out  the  commission  of  Classis,  with 
the  stipulation  that  "nothing  of  the  kind  should  ever  be  under- 
taken or  performed  hereafter,  without  an  express  order  from 
the  Classis".    In  compliance  with  this  resolution  the  ordination 


<^.^r^  /t^^ 


v^*  '* 


^^a^**-***^ 


-^^Se.U/t^Ly2> 


SIGNATURES  OF  BOEHM's  ELDERS  IN   I73O. 

of  Mr.  Boehm  "was  performed  by  Domine  Henricus  Boel.  and 
the  consecration  by  the  laying  on  of  hands  by  Domine  Gual- 
therus  Du  Bois,  in  the  presence  of  said  consistory,  publicly, 


ORDINATION  OF  BOEHM  37 

in  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church  in  New  York,  on  Sunday  after- 
noon, November  2},,  1729". 

On  the  following  day  a  reconciliation  took  place  between 
Boehm  and  Weiss,  who  had  come  over  to  New  York  to  be 
present  at  the  ordination.  They  agreed  to  forgive  each  other 
for  what  had  taken  place  in  the  past,  and  promised  to  live 
henceforth  together  in  brotherly  love  and  friendship.  Weiss, 
on  his  part,  promised  to  recognize  Mr.  Boehm  as  a  lawfully 
ordained  minister,  to  give  up  Skippack  altogether  and  to  leave 
to  Boehm  also  Falkner  Swamp  and  Whitemarsh  as  his  con- 
gregations, Boehm,  on  the  other  hand,  promised  to  recognize 
the  ministry  of  Weiss  and  to  leave  to  him  Philadelphia  and 
Germantown  as  his  field.  This  action  was  ratified  by  Boehm's 
elders,  but  the.  adherents  of  Weiss  refused  to  live  up  to  it. 
Indeed  through  them  it  was  largely  nullified.  Especially  the 
people  of  Skippack  were  so  set  against  Boehm  that  they  not 
only  refused  to  accept  Boehm  as  their  minister,  but  they  also 
insisted  that  Weiss  should  not  read  in  their  church  the  act  of 
reconciliation  made  between  him  and  Boehm.  Weiss  yielded 
weakly  to  their  demands  and  through  his  weakness  encouraged 
his  followers  to  continue  in  their  opposition  to  Boehm. 

In  May,  1730,  Weiss  determined  to  go  to  Holland,  to  take 
charge  of  the  moneys  collected  there  in  behalf  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania churches,  in  answer  to  an  appeal  sent  by  him  to  Holland 
in  1727.  His  congregations  associated  with  him  Jacob  Reiff, 
one  of  his  members  at  Skippack,  an  experienced  business  man, 
who  had  been  in  Holland  in  1727.  When  Weiss  left  Philadel- 
phia, two  protests  against  Boehm's  ordination  were  given  to 
him  by  the  seceders  at  Skippack,  dated  May  10,  1730.  One 
was  handed  to  Do.  Wilhelmius,  who  laid  it  before  the  Classis 
of  Rotterdam  and  the  Deputies  of  the  South  Holland  Synod. 
The  other  protest  was  laid  before  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam.** 
But,  instead  of  nullifying  Boehm's  ordination,  as  the  petitioners 
requested,  the  Classis  confirmed  his  ordination  on  December 
5.  1730. 

*'  The  protest  submitted  to  the  Synod  of  South  Holland  is  now, 
in  a  Dutch  translation,  in  the  archives  at  The  Hague,  74,  II,  1.  The 
protest  to  the  Classis  is  in  the  "Pennsylvania  Portfolio"  at  Amsterdam. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
boehm's  early  opponents. 

The  ordination  of  Boehm  in  New  York  and  his  reconcilia- 
tion with  Weiss  seemed  at  first  sight  to  be  the  end  of  all  his 
troubles,  but  in  reality  they  were  the  beginning  of  a  ministry 
filled  with  difficulties  and  obstacles,  largely  created  by  persons 
who  opposed  his  work. 

Even  Weiss,  who  had  been  reconciled  to  him  at  New  York, 
was  not  faithful  to  the  promises  he  then  made.  The  most  that 
can  be  said  in  extenuation  of  his  later  course  of  action  is  that 
it  was  dictated  by  his  parishioners.  Nevertheless,  it  called 
forth  the  indignant  resentment  of  Boehm,  to  which  he  gives 
utterance  in  his  letter  to  the  New  York  ministers,  dated  ^lay 
17.  1730-  He  writes:  "To  sign  such  a  covenant  with  his 
own  hand,  before  such  reverend  men,  who  for  the  glory  of 
Jesus  labored  so  zealously  to  restore  everything  to  good  order, 
and  then  to  break  the  same  in  such  a  disgraceful  manner,— 
such  conduct  is  not  only  devoid  of  honor,  but  far  removed 
from  godliness,  nor  is  it  worthy  of  a  minister  to  set  such  an 
example."  Nor  was  the  attitude  of  Weiss  to  Boehm  in  Holland 
more  friendly.  The  Acts  of  the  Deputies  bear  evidence  of  the 
fact  that  he  spoke  slightingly  of  Boehm  before  the  deputies."' 

But  of  far  greater  importance  for  the  whole  ministry  of 
Boehm  was  the  ill-fated  collecting  tour  of  Weiss  to  Holland. 
For  sixteen  years  it  prevented  any  material  help  reaching  Penn- 
sylvania from  Holland.  Therefore,  although  Boehm  was  not 
directlv  involved  in  this  tour,  a  brief  account  of  it  is  necessary 

*'  When  Weiss  appeared  before  the  Deputies  of  the  Synods  at 
Rotterdam,  on  August  16,  1730,  he  gave  them  "an  account  of  the  large 
number  of  Reformed  people  in  Pennsylvania,  who  hitherto  have  been 
served  by  him  alone  and  by  a  certain  Philip  Boehm,  who  has  set  him- 
self up  as  a  teacher,  although  being  without  education  and  having  no 
proper  call,  but  who  through  wrong  information  was  examined,  it 
seems,  and  admitted  to  the  ministry  by  one  of  the  ministers  of  New 
Netherland,  upon  the  order  of  the  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam." 


OPPONENTS  OF  BOEHM  39 

to  understand  much  of  the  later  correspondence  of  Boehm, 
which  reverted  continually  to  this  all-absorbing  topic. 

THE  REIFF  COLLECTING  TOUR. 

In  1727,  Jacob  Reiff,  then  a  resident  of  Skippack,*^  went 
to  Germany  "to  fetch  his  relations",  and  at  the  same  time,  he 
tells  us,  he  took  with  him  a  petition,  which  "the  said  congrega- 
tion of  Philadelphia  and  Skippack  in  conjunction  with  their 
minister,  George  Michael  Weitzius  (alias  Weiss),  did  prefer  to 
the  excellent  Classis  of  Divinity  in  the  United  Provinces,  which 
petition  .  .  .  was  signed  and  subscribed  by  the  church 
wardens  and  elders  of  both  the  said  congregations  of  Philadel- 
phia and  Skippack,  and  it  set  forth  the  unhappy  and  necessitous 
condition  of  the  said  congregations  and  prayed  the  charitable 
donations  of  the  said  Classis,  and  this  defendant  delivered  the 
said  petition  to  Dr.  Wilhelmus".  The  reason  why  the  petition 
was  handed  to  the  Rev.  John  Wilhelmius,  then  pastor  at  Rot- 
terdam,*^ was  most  likely  because  Weiss  had  come  in  contact 
with  him  when  he  passed  through  Rotterdam  on  his  way  to 
Pennsylvania.  In  corroboration  of  this  conclusion  it  may  be 
pointed  out  that  in  a  later  report  Wilhelmius  stated  that  "the 
ministry  of  these  churches  [in  Pennsylvania]  has  been  in 
charge  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Weiss,  who  went  over  imth  a  colony 
of  these  Palatines".  Wilhelmius  was  apparently  the  only  min- 
ister in  Holland  acquainted  with  this  fact.  This  too  points  to 
a  personal  contact  between  him  and  Weiss. 

In  answer  to  this  petition  of  Weiss  "a  collection  was  made 
in  favor  of  said  congregations  of  the  German  Reformed 
Church  of  Philadelphia  and  Skippack  to  the  amount  of  about 

**John  Wilhelmius,  the  son  of  William  Wilhelmius,  was  born 
December  4,  1671,  at  Hardwyk.  He  studied  at  Leyden,  where  he  also 
took  the  degree  of  doctor  of  philosophy.  He  became  minister  at 
Twisk,  then  professor  of  theology  in  the  Reformed  university  at 
Lingen  and  finally  pastor  at  Rotterdam,  1713-1748.  He  was  a  faith- 
ful friend  of  the  Palatines  and  especially  of  the  Reformed  people  of 
Pennsylvania.  See  Biographisch  IVordenhoek  der  Nederlanden,  20ste 
Deel,  Haarlem  1877. 

"Jacob  ReifF  was  the  youngest  son  of  John  George  Reiff  and 
his  wife,  Anna  Maria.  He  was  born  November  15,  1698,  and  died 
February  16,  1782.  He  is  buried  with  his  wife  in  the  Mennonite  burial 
ground   at   Skippack.     The   first   reference  to   him   in    Pennsylvania   is 


40  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

200  guilders".^^"  When  Reiff  returned  to  Pennsylvania  in 
1729,  he  was  requested  to  take  charge  of  the  money  thus  col- 
lected. But,  as  he  had  heard  that  his  honesty  had  been  ques- 
tioned, he  refused  to  have  anything  to  do  with  it.  The  con- 
gregations of  Weiss,  therefore,  determined  to  send  their  pastor 
to  Holland  to  receive  this  money.  And,  as  they  were  afraid 
that  Weiss  might  be  persuaded  to  stay  in  Germany,  they  asso- 
ciated with  him  Jacob  Reiff.  Another  event  prepared  the  way 
for  the  visit  of  Weiss  to  Holland.  At  the  meeting  of  the  South 
Holland  Synod,  held  at  Breda,  July  4-14,  1730,  its  president, 
Rev.  John  Wilhelmius,  read  a  lengthy  report  on  the  condition 
of  the  Reformed  people  in  Pennsylvania.  As  a  result  Synod 
resolved  to  call  upon  its  churches  for  a  contribution  to  the 
Reformed  people  in  Pennsylvania. 

When  Weiss,  therefore,  with  his  companion  appeared  in 
Holland,  they  were  received  with  open  arms.  We  find  them 
first,  on  August  10,  1730,  at  Haarlem,  where  they  received  of 
Rev.  Jacob  Geelkerke  fl.  390,  from  the  Synod  of  North  Holland. 
A  few  days  later,  on  August  15th  and  i6th,  they  were  at  Rot- 
terdam, where  Rev.  Alardus  Tiele  gave  them  the  contributions 
of  the  Synod  of  South  Holland,  held  at  Kuylenberg  in  1729. 
in  all  fl.  696.12,  and  the  Rev.  Barth.  Van  Velse  gave  the  con- 
tributions of  the  Synod  just  held  at  Breda,  namely  fl.  79. 

At  the  same  time  they  appeared  before  the  Synodical 
Deputies,  at  the  house  of  Rev.  J.  Wilhelmius  in  Rotterdam. 
Here  Weiss  presented  his  credentials,  gave  the  deputies  an  ac- 
count of  the  Reformed  people  in  Pennsylvania,  handed  over  to 
them  the  protest  of  the  seceders  at  Skippack  against  Boehm  and 
accepted  the  request  of  the  deputies  to  prepare  a  chart,  showing 
the  different  settlements  and  a  report  "of  the  whole  condition  of 

made  on  July  2,  1723,  when  he  is  mentioned  in  the  diary  of  Gerhart 
Clemens.  See  Heckler,  History  of  Lower  Salford  Township,  p.  98. 
On  December  1,  1727,  Jacob  Reiff,  of  Skippack,  yeoman,  bought  three 
tracts  of  land  containing  five  hundred  and  fortj'-six  acres.  The  plan- 
tation on  which  he  himself  lived  was  located  near  the  southeastern 
corner  of  the  present  township  of  Lower  Salford,  near  the  Skippack 
Creek.  This  was  the  property  on  which  the  Reformed  Church  was 
erected.     See  Heckler,  1.  c,  p.  99;  also  p.  111. 

**' .\   Dutch   guilder,  afso   called  florin    (fl.),  is  worth   about  40 
cents.     Twenty  stuivers   (st.)   make  a  guilder. 


E    N 

[ONDERRIG  TINGE. 

:N0PENS  en  aan  d«  colonie 

X  M    K  £  R  K  G 

VAN 

PENSYLVANIEN. 

Opgefteic  en  Uytgegcveu  door  de  Gccfepuceerdox  va* 

de  E.  Chriftdyfcc  Synodus  van  Zuyd-Hdlland , 

l^nevens  de  Gecommittecrden  van  dc 

E.  Ciaflis  van  Dclh  en  DelfshfKl, 

en  Schieland, 


THE   FIRST   PRINTED  REPORT  ABOUT   THE  REFORMED   CHURCH 
OF   PENNSYLVANIA,    I73I 


OPPONENTS  OF  BOEHM  41 

the  land  and  the  Palatines  living  there". ^°  Upon  this  report 
of  Weiss,  which  was  submitted  in  September,  1730,  was  based 
the  first  printed  report  regarding  the  Reformed  Church  of 
Pennsylvania,  laid  before  the  South  Holland  Synod  at  Dort 
in  July,  1731. 

On  September  4,  1730,  Weiss  and  Reiff  were  at  Amster- 
dam, where  they  appeared  before  the  Classis.  They  "made 
known  that  the  congregation  at  Schibach,  from  which  also  a 
lettter  has  been  received,  is  very  much  disturbed  and  in  great 
confusion,  because  the  congregation  refuses  to  recognize  Do. 
Boehm  as  a  properly  ordained  minister".  The  deputies  were 
.asked  to  investigate  the  matter  carefully  and  report  to  the 
Classis.  Weiss  also  asked  for  a  contribution  to  build  a  church 
in  Philadelphia.  In  answer  to  this  request  "the  congregation 
was  recommended  to  the  charity  of  all  congregations  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  this  Classis". 

The  two  travelers  remained  in  Amsterdam  several  months. 
On  October  18,  1730,  the  burgomasters  permitted  them^^  to 
collect  fl.  600  in  the  city,  while  on  the  next  day  the  Amsterdam 
diaconate  voted  them  fl.  150,  and  on  October  20th,  the  diaconate 
gave  fl.  600.  These  gifts,  together  with  contributions  from 
private  parties,  amounted  in  all  to  fl.  2132.12. 

The  last  reference  to  the  presence  of  Weiss  in  Holland 
is  found  in  the  minutes  of  the  Classis  of  the  Hague,  which 
refer,  under  date  November  6,  1730,  to  a  Latin  letter  of  Weiss 
to  the  Classis,  asking  for  its  help.  According  to  a  statement 
made  by  Weis  in  1738,  he  stayed  in  Holland  six  months. 
Hence  his  stay  lasted  from  August,  1730,  to  February,  1731. 
Before  he  left,  he  received  from  Reiff,  who  had  taken  charge 
of  the  money,  fl.  250,  for  his  return  journey.  Weiss  returned 
by  way  of  London  to  Baltimore,  in  the  summer  of  1731,  but 
shortly  after  his  arrival  in  Philadelphia,  he  accepted  a  call  to 
Huntersfield,  Schoharie  County,  N.  Y.  On  September  22, 
1731,  his  elders  in  Philadelphia  gave  him  a  letter  of  recom- 

"*  These  valuable  documents  do  not  seem  to  be  preserved.  At 
least  they  are  not  in  the  archives  at  the  Hague. 

"  The  permit  of  the  burgomaster  is  printed  in  Dr.  Good's  History 
of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  U.  S.,  1725-1792,  p.  142. 


42  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

mendation  to  his  new  field  of  labor.^' 

Meanwhile  affairs  had  taken  a  remarkable  turn  in  Holland. 
The  evidence  is  somewhat  contradictory,  coming  to  us  from 
Weiss,  Reiff  and  Boehm.^^  Selecting  the  statements  of  Boehm 
as  giving  us  most  likely  the  true  version  of  what  happened, 
we  learn  from  him,  that,  before  Weiss  left  Holland,  Reiff 
received  a  lettter  from  seven  prominent  members  of  the  Phila- 
delphia congregation,  which  took  away  the  power  of  attorney, 
given  to  Weiss  by  the  whole  congregation,  and  transferred  it 
to  Reiff.  This  accounts  for  the  fact  that  instead  of  taking  the 
money  with  him  when  he  left,  Weiss  turned  it  all  over  to 
Reiff,  receiving  from  him  only  fl.  250  for  the  return  journey. 
In  the  same  letter  Reiff  was  advised  to  invest  the  money  re- 
ceived in  merchandise.  This  was  a  fatal  move,  as  future 
events  plainly  showed. 

In  accordance  with  the  instructions  received,  Reiff  bought 
merchandise,  which  he  put  on  board  of  the  ship  Britannia, 
bound  from  Rotterdam  for  Philadelphia.  About  that  time, 
from  July  3-13,  1731,  the  Synod  of  South  Holland  met  at 
Dort.  Rev.  J.  Wilhelmius  persuaded  Reiff  (so  the  latter 
claims)  to  attend  its  sessions,  but  when  he  returned  to  Rotter- 
dam he  found  the  ship  with  his  goods  had  left.  It  was  the 
same  ship  which  brought  Rev.  J.  B.  Rieger  to  America.  When 
the  ship  arrived  in  England,  the  goods  were  detained  ''by  the 
collector  of  His  Majesty's  customs  at  Cowes,  in  the  Isle  of 
Wight,  where  the  ship  went  to  clear".  Reiff,  however,  instead 
of  following  with  the  next  ship,  delayed  his  departure  till  the 
next  spring.  During  this  interval  he  probably  went  to  the 
Palatinate.'*  In  June,  1732,  we  find  that  Reiff  had  boarded 
another  ship  and  was  at  Cowes,  trying  to  free  his  goods  from 
the  custom  house.     But,  before  he  could  make  a  settlement 

"A  copy  of  the  letter  was  spread  by  Weiss  upon  the  church 
record  of  the  old  Catskill  Reformed  Church. 

"The  evidence  of  Reiff  is  given  in  paper  which  he  presented  to 
the  Court  of  Chancery,  in  answer  to  a  bill  of  complaint  made  against 
him.  It  was  printed  by  Dr.  Dubbs  in  the  Reformed  Quarterly  Review, 
Vol.  XV  (1893),  pp.  60-66. 

"So  Reiff  claimed  before  Schlatter,  when  he  made  his  settle- 
ment with  him.  See  "Diary  of  Schlatter,"  printed  in  Journal  of  the 
Presbyterian  Historical  Society,  Vol.  HI,  p.  112. 


OPPONENTS  OF  BOEHM  43 

with   the  collector,   the  ship  was  ready  to   sail   and  he  was 
forced  to  leave  the  goods  in  England. 

When  Reiff  returned  to  Pennsylvania,  in  the  fall  of  1732, 
he  threw  the  members  of  the  congregations  at  Philadelphia  and 
Skippack  into  great  consternation  by  denying  that  he  had  ever 
received  more  than  fl.  750  in  Holland,  although  letters  of  Weiss, 
received  by  them,  showed  that  more  than  fl.  2100  had  been 
given  in  Holland.  Moreover,  a  rumor  was  circulated  that 
Reiff  intended  to  leave  the  province.  To  prevent  him  doing  this 
and  to  compel  him  to  render  an  account,  several  of  the  Phila- 
delphia members  cited  him  before  the  Court  of  Chancery. ^^  On 
November  23,  1732,  Jacob  Diemer,  Michael  Hillegass,  Peter 
Hillegass,  Jost  Schmidt,  Hendrick  Weller,  Jacob  Sigel  and 
Wilhelm  Rohrich  appeared  before  Governor  Keith  in  the 
Court  of  Chancery  at  Philadelphia  and  laid  before  him  a 
complaint  and  petition,  in  which  they  stated  their  whole  case, 
the  story  of  the  collection,  the  moneys  received  by  Reiff,  his 
unwillingness  to  render  an  account  and  his  apparent  intention 
to  leave  the  province,  and  hence  they  prayed  the  Court  "to 
restrain  the  said  Jacob  Reiff  from  departing  this  province,  until 
he  has  answered  the  bill  of  complaints  of  these  deponents  who 
prosecute  in  behalf  of  the  said  Reformed  German  Church  of 
Philadelphia".  Their  petition  was  granted  and  Reiff  was  com- 
pelled to  give  bail.  On  June  20,  1733,  the  attorney  of  Reiff 
asked  the  Court  to  discharge  Reiff  and  his  securities  from 
bond.  When  the  case  was  called  up  it  was  found  that  the 
petitioners  had  failed  to  lodge  a  formal  bill  of  complaint 
against  Reiff,  having  thought  perhaps  that  their  petition  and 
affidavit  were  sufficient.  They  were  given  time  to  file  their 
bill  of  complaint  till  July  3rd,  and  when  they  were  not  ready 
at  that  time,  till  July  12th,  when  the  bill  of  complaint  was  pre- 
sented. Two  days  later  Reiff  filed  his  answer.  On  February 
20,  1734,  the  bond  of  Reiff  was  reduced  from  £1000  to  £500. 
This  ended  the  case  before  the  court.  Nothing  else  at  least  is 
found  in  the  record  which  closes  in  1735.  The  complainants 
failed  to  prosecute,  perhaps  because  they  were  unable  to  prove 
their  contentions. 

"The  Registrar's  Book  of  Governor  Keith's  Court  of  Chancery, 
1720-1735.  has  been  printed  by  Wm.  H.  Rawle  in  his  Equity  in  Penn- 
sylvania, Philadelphia,  1868,  Appendix  p.  33f. 


44  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

In  April,  1734,  however,  an  important  event  occurred, 
which  revealed  the  hidden  cause  of  the  whole  unfortunate 
affair.  A  congregational  meeting  was  held  by  the  Philadelphia 
congregation.  There,  in  the  presence  of  thirty  members.  Reiff 
openly  charged  the  prosecuting  members  with  being  the  cause 
of  the  whole  trouble,  in  that  they  had  advised  investing  the 
money  in  merchandise.  He  produced  the  letter  which  they  had 
written  to  him  while  he  was  in  Holland,  ordering  him  to  invest 
the  money  in  that  way.  He  also  claimed  to  have  sent  them  the 
goods,  but  they  flatly  denied  having  seen  anything  of  them. 

The  result  of  this  "discovery"  (as  Boehm  calls  it)  was 
that  these  men  were  deposed  by  the  congregation  as  members 
of  the  consistory.  A  new  consistory  was  at  once  chosen,  which 
appealed  to  Boehm  to  help  them.  Boehm  consented  and  be- 
came the  pastor  of  the  Philadelphia  congregation  in  August, 
1734.  But  the  Reiff  affair  was  no  nearer  a  solution  than  it 
was  before.  The  secret  of  the  whole  trouble  was  that  when 
the  investment  of  the  money  in  merchandise  proved  a  total 
failure,  none  of  the  participants  was  willing  to  shoulder  the 
loss,  hence  Reiff  was  unwilling  to  make  a  settlement.  The 
case  remained  unsettled  till  the  arrival  of  Schlatter  in  1746. 

For  Boehm  the  consequences  of  the  "Reiff  Case"  were 
threefold :  In  the  first  place,  it  deprived  him  for  years  of  the 
much-needed  help  from  Holland ;  in  the  second  place,  it  made 
him  pastor  of  the  Philadelphia  congregation,  and  in  the  third 
place,  it  alienated  the  seceders  at  Skippack  from  him  for  ever, 
since  they  continued  to  be  under  the  influence  of  Jacob  Reiff, 
until  the  congregation  ceased  to  exist  in  1746.  Weiss  and 
Reiff,  however,  were  not  the  orlly  opponents  of  Boehm  in  his 
pastoral  activity.  The  disturbance  and  division,  caused  by 
Weiss  at  Skippack  and  other  places,  were  continued  by  others. 
The  first  of  these  successors  of  Weiss,  opposing  Boehm's  work, 
was  John  Peter  Miller. 

JOHN    PETER    MILLER,    I73O-I734. 

John  Peter  Miller  (Mueller)  was  born  December  25,  1709, 
probably  at  Zweikirchen,  near  Zweibruecken,  Germany.  His 
father  was  the  Rev.  John  Mueller,  who  from  1707-1714  was 
pastor  at  Zweikirchen  and  Wolfstein  near  Kaiserslautern.  from 
1714-1726,  pastor  at  Alsenborn  and  from  1730-1741,  pastor  at 


OPPONENTS  OF  BOEHM  45 

Altenkirchen,  near  Homburg  in  the  Palatinate.  He  died  at 
Altenkirchen  May  ii,  1741.^^ 

His  son,  John  Peter  Mueller,  entered  the  university  of 
Heidelberg,  where  he  registered  December  29,  1725,  as  "Jo- 
hannes Petrus  Mullerus,  Altzbornensis".  This  does  not  mean 
that  he  was  born  at  Alsenborn,  as  was  thought  hitherto,  but 
Alsenborn  was  his  temporary  home,  where  his  father  was 
pastor  when  he  entered  the  university.  According  to  a  state- 
ment in  the  Berliner  Monatssclirift  of  1784:^'^ 

"Peter  Miller  the  only  educated  man  (in  the  society  at 
Ephrata)  studied  in  Heidelberg  and  was  authorized  to  preach, 
but  riot  to  baptize.  With  thirty  guldens  in  his  pocket  he  left 
his  father". 

On  August  29,  1730,  Miller  arrived  in  Philadelphia  on 
"the  ship  Thistle,  of  Glasgow,  Colin  Dunlap,  master,  from 
Rotterdam,  last  from  Cowes"  with  260  Palatines. 

Soon  after  his  arrival  he  was  engaged  by  the  Reformed 
people  of  Philadelphia  and  Germantown,  and  also  by  the  se- 
ceders  at  Skippack,  to  preach  for  them.  In  order  to  qualify 
himself  for  this  work,  he  applied  to  the  Presbyterian  Synod 
of  Philadelphia  for  ordination.  On  September  19,  1730,  the 
Synod  voted  that  he  "be  left  to  the  care  of  the  Presbytery  of 
Philadelphia,  to  settle  him  in  the  work  of  the  ministry". ^^ 

The  minutes  of  the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  covering 
this  period  are  unfortunately  lost,  but  a  letter  of  Rev.  Jedidiah 
Andrews,  pastor  of  the  old  Buttonwood  Presbyterian  Church, 
supplies  the  deficiency,  at  least  in  part.  On  October  14,  1730, 
Mr.  Andrews  wrote  to  the  Rev.  Thomas  Prince,  pastor  of  the 
Old  South  Church  of  Boston  :^^ 

"There  is  lately  come  over  a  Palatine  candidate  of  the 
ministry,  who  having  applied  to  us  at  the  Synod,  for  Ordin'n, 

"This  information  about  Peter  Miller's  father  was  kindly  com- 
municated to  the  writer  by  the  present  pastor  of  the  Reformed  Church 
at  Alsenborn,  in  a  recent  letter,  dated  June  5,  1914.  The  church  rec- 
ords of  Wolfstein  are  unfortunately  no  longer  in  existence.  The  Re- 
formed church  at  Zweikirchen  is  no  longer  in  existence. 

"  Quoted  by  Dr.  Dubbs  in  his  Reformed  Chxirch  in  Pennsylvania, 
p.  9i,  note  99. 

"  See  Records  of  Presbyterian  Church  in  U.  S.  A.,  Vol.  I,  p.  99. 

"First  printed  in  Hazard's  Register,  Vol.  XV,  p.  200f. 


46  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

t'is  left  to  3  ministers  to  do  it.  He  is  an  extraordinary  person 
for  sense  and  learning.  We  gave  him  a  question  to  discuss 
about  Justification,  and  he  has  answered  it,  in  a  whole  sheet 
of  paper,  in  a  very  notable  manner.  His  name  is  John  Peter 
Miller,  and  speaks  Latin  as  readily  as  we  do  our  vernacular 
tongue,  and  so  does  the  other,  Mr.  Weis". 

Shortly  afterwards,  on  October  19,  1730,  Miller  visited 
Boehm  in  his  home  at  Whitpain.  When  Miller  told  him  that  he 
had  applied  to  the  Presbyterians  for  ordination,  Boehm  ad- 
vised him  to  go  rather  to  the  Dutch  Reformed  ministers  of 
New  York,  that  his  ordination  might  take  place  in  accordance 
with  Reformed  custom.  But  Miller  refused,  saying  that  this 
was  too  round  about  a  way  for  him.  He  preferred  to  take  the 
easier  way.  He  questioned  the  authority  of  the  Church  of 
Holland  to  control  church  affairs  in  America.  Boehm  retorted 
sharply  that,  if  the  Classis  did  not  have  this  right  she  would 
not  have  assumed  it.     Miller  also  deprecated  the  attempt  to 

SIGNATURE  OF  JOHN    PETER   MILLER. 

deprive  the  Pennsylvania  churches  of  their  liberty  by  subject- 
ing them  to  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  to  which  remark  Boehm 
made  a  spirited  reply.  Towards  the  end  of  the  year  1730. 
Miller  was  ordained  in  the  Presbyterian  Church  by  three  Pres- 
byterian ministers,  Andrews,  Tennent  and  Boyd.^'"  Boehm 
complained  repeatedly  in  his  letter  about  the  harmful  activity 
of  Miller,  which,  from  his  point  of  view,  produced  only  division 
and  the  spirit  of  independence  in  the  Reformed  congregations. 
Miller  preached  at  Philadelphia,  Germantown  and  Skip- 
pack  till  the  fall  of  1731.     He  then  withdrew  to  the  interior 

"Miller  himself  preserved  this  fact  in  a  letter  which  he  wrote 
to  a  friend  late  in  life,  dated  December  5,  1790.  In  it  he  writes:  "In 
August,  1730,  I  arrived  in  Philadelphia,  and  was  there  at  the  end  of 
the  said  year,  upon  the  order  of  the  Scotch  Synod,  ordained  in  the  old 
Presbyterian  Meeting  House,  by  three  eminent  ministers,  Tennent, 
Andrews  and  Boyd."     See  Hazards  Register,  Vol.  XVI,  p.  254. 


OPPOXENTS   OF  BOEHM  47 

settlements.  He  became  Weiss'  successor  at  Goshenhoppen. 
The  first  sixty-nine  baptisms  in  the  New  Goshenhoppen  record, 
from  June,  1731,  till  July,  1734,  were  performed  by  Peter  Mil- 
ler.*'^ At  one  of  these  baptisms,  on  April  16,  1732,  "Jo^ann 
Peter  Mueller",  acted  as  sponsor.  Boehm  refers  to  Miller's 
activity  in  his  report  of  1739.  In  a  paragraph  treating  of 
Goshenhoppen  he  writes :  "When  Weiss  traveled  to  Holland 
in  order  to  obtain  the  well  known  moneys  collected  there,  they 
immediately  clung  to  Miller,  who,  assisted  by  another  person, 
continued  to  serve  Goshenhoppen".  Beside  Goshenhoppen 
Miller  was  also  serving  Conestoga  and  Tulpehocken,  which  he 
took  away  from  Boehm.  On  March  4,  1733,  Rev.  John  B. 
Rieger  wrote  to  the  Synods : 

"The  church  at  Conestoga  and  vicinity  has  a  preacher  by 
the  name  of  Johann  Petrus  Mueller,  who  was  ordained  in  the 
Presb3'terian  church  here.  He  holds  divine  services  there  [at 
Conestoga]". 

Boehm  himself  also  refers  to  ^.Tiller's  activity  at  Cones- 
toga and  Tulpehocken.  In  his  report  of  1739  he  states:  "But 
soon  afterwards  Weiss  left  them  again,  whereupon  Miller  went 
there  to  carry  on  the  work  of  Weiss.  At  that  time  Miller  drew 
also  Tulpehocken  to  himself".  According  to  a  letter  of  Conrad 
Tempelman,  dated  February  13.  1733,  Miller  had  three  preach- 
ing places  in  the  Conestoga  valley. 

As  early  as  1732,  Miller  showed  inclinations  towards  the 
Seventh  Day  Dunkers.  Boehm  reports  that  at  that  time  he 
went  into  the  house  of  a  Seventh  Day  Dunker,  with  one  of  his 
elders  from  Goshenhoppen,  and  had  his  feet  washed  by  him. 
It  is  therefore  not  surprising  that  when  Conrad  Beissel,  their 
leader,  set  out  to  v/in  one  of  the  Reformed  preachers  for  his 
work,  "aware  of  his  own  inability  in  view  of  the  important 
work  before  him",  he  succeeded  with  Peter  Miller.  On  the 
occasion  of  a  visit  to  Tulpehocken  with  several  of  his  disci- 
ples, Beissel  "was  received  by  the  teacher  [Miller]  and  elders 
with  the  consideration  due  to  him  as  an  ambassador  of  God".^^ 
The  result  of  this  visit  of  Beissel  was  that  Miller,  the  school- 

"  Published  bj'  the  writer  in  Mr.  Dotterer's  Perkiomen  Region, 
Vol.  Ill,  pp.  94-95. 

"See  Ephrata  Chronicle,  Engl.  Ed.,  p.  71. 


48  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

master,  three  elders  and  various  other  households  determined 
to  go  over  to  the  new  faith.  But  his  efforts  to  win  the  whole 
congregation  proved  unsuccessful,  for  Boehm  reports :  "When 
he  could  not  persuade  the  people  to  follow  his  example,  he 
gave  up  the  ministry  and  became  an  oil-miller".  Miller  himself 
writes  in  a  later  letter  about  this  event:  "Having  officiated 
among  the  Germans  several  years,  I  quitted  the  ministry  and 
returned  to  private  life".  The  separation  of  Miller  from  the 
Reformed  Church  was  made  as  dramatic  as  possible.  Boehm 
has  recorded  the  strange  scene  for  us.  The  four  leaders  in 
the  movement,  Peter  Miller,  Michael  Miller,  Conrad  Weiser 
and  Gottfried  Fidler,  gathered,  no  doubt  with  their  sympa- 
thizers, in  the  house  of  Gottfried  Fidler,  and  there  they  burnt 
the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  the  Lutheran  Catechism,  the  Psalms 
of  David,  and  several  books  of  devotion,  in  all  36  volumes,  "in 
derision  and  disparagement."  Shortly  afterwards.  Miller  and 
his  followers  completed  their  renunciation  of  the  Reformed 
Church  by  being  baptized  in  Dunker  fashion,  through  trine 
immersion  in  a  river.  This  took  place  on  a  Sabbath  in  May, 
1735.  According  to  Boehm  "he  took  with  him  about  ten  fami- 
lies, Lutheran  and  Reformed,  from  the  congregation  of  Tul- 
pehocken  who  followed  his  example".  As  the  Seventh  Day 
Dunkers  lived  at  that  time  dispersed  through  the  Conestoga 
valley  as  hermits.  Miller,  so  he  tells  us,  followed  their  example 
and  set  up  his  "hermitage  in  Dulpehackin,  at  the  foot  of  a 
mountain,  on  a  limped  spring,  the  house  is  still  [in  1790]  ex- 
tant there  with  an  old  orchard".  There  Miller  lived  till  No- 
vember, 1735,  when  the  cloister  at  Ephrata  was  begun  and  all 
the  "solitary  brethren"  were  called  in.  He  then  removed  to 
Ephrata,  where  he  spent  the  rest  of  his  life  behind  cloister 
walls. 

This  conversion  of  Miller  and  his  friends  caused  such  an 
alarm  among  the  Reformed  congregations,  that  they  appealed 
again  to  Mr.  Boehm  to  save  them.  Accordingly  he  went  to 
Conestoga,  on  May  11,  1735,  and  administered  there  the 
Lord's  Supper  to  two  congregations.  Tulpehocken  also  en- 
gaged him  again  to  hold  communion  services  for  them  twice  a 

year. 

When  Miller  withdrew  from  Philadelphia  and  Skippack, 
his  place  was  taken  by  Rev.  John  Bartholomew  Rieger. 


OPPONENTS  OF  BOEHM  49 

JOHN    BARTHOLOMEW   RIEGER,    173I-1734. 

John  Bartholomew  Rieger,  the  son  of  John  Adam  Rieger, 
a  tax-collector,  and  of  his  wife  Anna  Magdalena,  was  born  at 
Oberingelheim  in  the  Palatinate,  January  23,  1707.^^  He  took 
his  Christian  name  from  his  sponsor,  John  Bartholomew  Eberth. 
Young  Rieger  matriculated  in  the  university  of  Heidelberg,  as 
student  of  philosophy,  on  February  14,  1724.  For  some  un- 
known reason  he  left  Heidelberg  after  a  stay  of  a  few  months 
and,  on  April  20,  1724,  matriculated  in  the  university  of  Basel. 
After  that  date  we  lose  sight  of  him  till  September  21,  1731, 
when  he  appears  at  the  Court  House  in  Philadelphia,  at  the 
head  of  a  colony  of  104  Palatines,  to  sign  the  oath  of  alle- 
giance to  the  English  king.     They,  together  with  their  fami- 

SIGNATURE  OF  REV.  JOHN  B.   RIEGER. 

lies,  in  all  269  persons,  had  been  imported  in  the  ship  Britan- 
nia, of  London,  Michael  Franklyn,  captain,  from  Rotterdam. 
Like  Weiss,  Rieger  came  as  the  leader  of  this  colony.  This 
is  distinctly  asserted  by  Rev.  John  Wilhelmius,  the  friend  of 
the  Palatines  in  Rotterdam.  In  a  report,  submitted  to  the 
deputies  on  October  31,  1735,  he  states  that  the  third  minister 
serving  the  Reformed  people  in  Pennsylvania  is  "Candidate 
Rieger,  who  went  over  with  another  colony  and  became  minister 
there."  This  statement  is  supported  by  the  fact  that  the  original 
list  of  immigrants,  who  signed  the  declaration  of  allegiance  on 
September  21,  1731,  is  headed  by  "Johannes  Bartholomay 
Rieger,  Hochteutscher  Prediger".^* 

"  The  data  regarding  Mr.  Rieger's  life  in  Germany  were  collected 
by  the  writer  at  Heidelberg  and  Ol^eringelheim  in  August,  1898. 

"  This  is  not  the  case  in  the  printed  list,  Rupp's  Thirty  Thousand 
Names,  p.  68;  Pennsylvania  Archives,  Second  Series,  Vol.  XVII,  p.  29; 
but  in  the  original  document  his  name  stands  first. 


50  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

Shortly  after  his  arrival  Rieger  was  elected  pastor  of  the 
Reformed  congregations  in  Philadelphia  and  Germantown. 
On  November  22,  173 1,  the  members  at  Philadelphia  wrote 
to  the  Synods :  "As  Mr.  Weiss  has  left  us,  in  order  not  to 
allow  our  pulpit  to  remain  vacant,  we  have  chosen  the  newly 
arrived  candidate  Rieger  as  our  minister,  to  whose  planting 
and  sprinkling  among  us  the  Lord  may  graciously  grant  His 
blessing  from  above". ^* 

Rieger,  like  his  predecessors,  opposed  the  ministry  of 
Eoehm  at  Skippack.  In  his  report  of  1744,  Boehm  writes  to 
the  Synods :  "When  Weiss  went  to  Holland,  Peter  Miller 
preached  there  [at  Skippack],  who  now  for  a  long  time  has 
been  a  Seventh  Day  Dunker.  After  him  came  Bartholomew 
Rieger,  whom  I  never  considered,  on  account  of  certain  evi- 
dence, to  be  different  from,  or  more  sound  in  the  Reformed 
doctrine,  than  Miller.  He  preached  there  for  some  time".  A 
few  details  about  the  ministry  of  Rieger  at  Philadelphia  and 
neighboring  places  can  be  learnt  from  a  letter  of  Rieger  and 
Dr.  John  Diemer  of  Philadelphia,  dated  March  4,  1733.®^ 
They  write :  "The  congregations  of  Schippach,  Germantown 
and  Philadelphia  have  as  their  minister  Bartholomew  Rieger, 
who  arrived  a  year  and  a  half  ago.  He  preaches  one  Sunday 
at  Schippach,  the  second  at  Germantown  and  the  third  at 
Philadelphia."  As  to  the  condition  of  the  Reformed  people  at 
that  time  they  write:  "At  Philadelphia,  which  is  the  capital 
and  from  which  most  of  the  grain  is  shipped  to  other  coun- 
tries, are  only  ten  [Reformed]  families  that  are  settled,  all 
the  others  are  in  service.  Among  the  townships  Schippach 
is  the  most  densely  populated.  There  they  count  about  forty 
families,  but  they  are  mostly  poor  and  about  thirty  miles 
from  the  city.    The  other  places  are  still  farther  away". 

It  was  during  the  ministry  of  Rieger  that  the  Reiff  case 
was  taken  into  court.  When  the  men  implicated  in  this  affair 
were  forced  out  of  the  consistory,  Rieger  also  resigned,  prob- 
ably because  he  sympathized  with  them.  His  withdrawal 
led  to  the  election  of  Boehm  at  Philadelphia.  The  elders  of 
Boehm  describe  these  events  as  follows : 

''Original  letter  in  archives  at  The  Hague,  74,  I,  10. 
"Letter  at  The  Hague,  74,  I,  15. 


OPPONENTS  OF  BOEHM  51 

"When  Mr.  Rieger  had  left  the  congregation,  thinking  per- 
haps that  because  of  his  absence  we  would  not  know  what  to 
do,  and  we  would  have  to  unite  again  with  the  deposed  per- 
sons, with  whom  he  was  in  harmony,  which  the  congregation, 
however,  regarded  as  extremely  harmful,  because  of  the  evi- 
dent deception  which  they  had  practised, — then  another  plan 
was  thought  of,  and  they  resolved  unanimously  (in  order  to 
prevent  the  entire  ruin  of  the  congregation)  humbly  to  ask 
aid  and  assistance  of  Mr.  John  Philip  Boehm.  .  .  .  This 
was  done  immediately  by  means  of  a  letter,  dated  April  20, 
1734,  signed  by  forty-two  persons  and  conveyed  to  him  by 
two  of  our  members". 

From  Philadelphia  Rieger  went  to  Amwell,  N.  J.  But, 
before  that  congregation  was  willing  to  accept  him,  he  had  to 
confess  that  he  had  done  wrong  in  breaking  into  Boehm's 
congregations,  ask  Boehm's  forgiveness  and  promise  that  it 
should  not  happen  again.  Nevertheless,  Boehm  complained, 
"he  has  not  been  ashamed  to  act  against  his  pledge  and  promise 
in  the  congregation  at  Tulpehocken,  without  speaking  to  me 
about  it".  When  Rieger  had  withdrawn,  another  young  min- 
ister appeared  to  continue  the  opposition  to  Boehm.  It  was 
John  Henry  Goetschy, 

JOHN   HENRY  GOETSCHY,    I735-I74O. 

On  May  29,  1735,  the  ship  Mercury,  William  Wilson, 
master,  arrived  in  Philadelphia,  from  Rotterdam,  with  186 
passengers.  Among  them  was  the  Goetschy  family,  consisting 
of  ten  members.  The  head  of  the  family,  who  was  also  the 
leader  of  the  colony,  was  the  Rev.  Maurice  Goetschy,  who  had 
been  pastor  at  Saletz,  Switzerland.  His  son,  John  Henry,  had 
been  born  March  8,  1718.  He  matriculated  in  the  Latin 
school  at  Zurich  March  23,  1734.  But,  before  he  had  spent 
half  a  year  at  school,  his  father  with  his  whole  family  left 
for  Pennsylvania.®^ 

When  the  ship  Mercury  reached  Philadelphia  with  the 
immigrants.  Rev.  Maurice  Goetschy  was  so  sick  that  he  had 
to  be  carried  ashore.     He  died  on  the  following  day  and  his 

"Documents  relating  to  the  Colony  of  Goetschy  are  in  the  city 
library  at  Zurich. 


52  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

funeral  took  place  on  the  third  day  following  in  the  "principal 
English  Presbyterian  Church  in  Philadelphia". 

On  July  21,  1735,  young  Goetschy,  then  a  boy  of  seventeen 
years,  wrote  to  one  of  his  relatives  at  Zurich :  "When  the 
people  saw  that  I  had  been  engaged  in  study,  they  almost 
compelled  me  to  preside  over  the  congregations  to  the  best  of 
my  ability.  Hence,  through  the  goodness  of  God,  I  preach 
twice  every  Sunday  and  teach  two  catechetical  lessons.  For 
this  I  make  use  of  the  books  which  I  have  brought  with  me 
and  through  diligence  I  am  enabled,  thank  God,  to  perform 
this  work  in  such  a  way,  that  each  and  every  person  is  well 
satisfied  with  me.  Now  the  first  Sunday  I  preach  in  Phila- 
delphia, both  in  the  forenoon  and  afternoon  and  I  give  always 
along  with  it  catechetical  instruction.     On  the  second  Sunday 

SIGNATURE  OF  JOHN  H.  GOETSCHY  FROM  EGYPT  RECORD. 

in  Schippach,  which  is  a  very  large  congregation,  I  have  a 
sermon  and  catechetical  instruction  in  the  forenoon.  In  the 
afternoon  at  Old  Goshenhoppen,  two  hours  [six  miles]  from 
Schippach,  I  have  a  sermon  and  catechetical  instruction.  It  is 
also  a  pretty  large  congregation,  as  large  as  any  in  the  canton 
of  Zurich.  On  the  third  Sunday  I  preach  in  New  Goshenhop- 
pen and  hold  catechetical  instruction  there  in  the  forenoon. 
In  the  afternoon  I  am  at  Great  Swamp,  which  is  also  one  of 
the  large  congregations". 

On  May  27,  1737,  Goetschy  applied  to  the  Presbyterian 
Synod  of  Philadelphia  for  ordination.^^  He  was  referred  to 
the  Presbytery  of  Philadelphia  for  examination.  The  Presby- 
terv  met  on  the  following  day,  but  the  examiners  came  unani- 

•'  See  Records  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  Vol.  I.  p.  133. 


OPPONENTS  OF  BOEHM  53 

mously  to  the  conclusion  "that  tho'  he  appeared  well  skilled  in 
the  learned  languages,  yet  inasmuch  as  they  found  him  alto- 
gether ignorant  in  college  learning  and  but  poorly  read  in 
Divinity,  his  ordination  to  the  ministry  must  at  present  be 
deferred".  He  was,  therefore,  advised  to  put  himself  under 
the  care  and  instruction  of  some  minister.  Meanwhile  he  was 
given  a  license  to  preach. 

From  Goshenhoppen  as  a  center,  young  Goetschy  soon 
developed  an  extensive  missionary  activity.  On  the  title  page 
of  the  New  Goshenhoppen  record  he  mentions  eleven  congre- 
gations as  included  in  his  charge,  although  in  some  of  them 
he  probably  preached  only  occasionally.  These  were :  Skip- 
pack,  Old  Goshenhoppen,  New  Goshenhoppen,  Great  Swamp, 
Saucon,  Egypt,  Maxatawny,  Moselem,  Oley,  Berne  and  Tul- 
pehocken.  At  Skippack,  Oley  and  Tulpehocken,  Goetschy  came 
in  conflict  with  Boehm,  because  they  were  Boehm's  congrega- 
tions, and  he  attempted  to  enter  them  without  consulting  him. 
He  further  caused  Boehm  much  annoyance  by  circulating  a 
letter  of  Rev.  John  Wilhelmius,  forged  in  part  by  Reiff  or  his 
adherents.  But  on  February  21,  1740,  a  reconciliation  was 
effected  between  Boehm  and  Goetschy  at  the  home  of  Rev. 
P.  H.  Dorsius  at  Neshaminy,  Bucks  County.  The  words  of 
Boehm  describing  this  reconciliation  are  worth  quoting.  They 
show  that  there  was  nothing  mean  in  his  character,  but  that  he 
was  ready  to  extend  the  hand  of  brotherly  fellowship  to  any 
one  who  was  anxious  to  live  and  labor  peacefully  with  him. 
He  writes :  "Henry  Goetschy  has  shown  this  letter  [of  Wil- 
helmius] everywhere  and  thereby  caused  me  much  persecu- 
tion, until  he  learned  dift"erently  from  his  Reverence,  Inspector 
Dorsius.  Then  he  heartily  repented  and  asked  my  forgive- 
ness in  the  presence  of  his  Reverence,  which  I  granted  him  with 
all  my  heart.  I  also  wish  him  success  and  intercede  for  him 
with  God  and  our  Reverend  Church  Fathers.  He  obediently 
submitted  to  the  decision  of  the  Reverend  Christian  Synods 
and  desisted  immediately.  May  God  give  him  blessing  and 
grace  that  he  may  become  an  efficient  instrument  to  edify 
others". 

Goetschy  had  stopped  preaching  because  the  Synods  had 
notified  the  Reformed  churches  of  Pennsylvania  that  they  could 
expect  no  help  from  them,  "unless  they  refused  to  hear  the 


54  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

unordained  ministers  and  hirelings  and  refused  to  accept  them 
for  the  administration  of  the  sacraments,  etc.,  among  whom 
are  included  the  young  Goetschy  and  Van  Basten,  who  while 
students  presume  to  do  everything  that  belongs  to  a  regular 
minister". 

As  a  result  of  this  notice,  Goetschy  gave  up  his  preach- 
ing, went  to  Neshaminy  and  put  himself  there  for  a  year 
under  the  instruction  of  the  Rev.  P.  H.  Dorsius.  On  April  7, 
1741,  he  was  ordained  as  minister  of  Jamaica  and  Long 
Island,  by  Dorsius  with  the  assistance  of  the  Dutch  Reformed 
minister,  Theodore  Jacob  Frelinghuysen  and  the  Presbyterian 
minister  of  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  Gilbert  Tennent.  Thus  his 
activity  in  Pennsylvania  came  to  an  end. 

Even  before  Goetschy  left  Pennsylvania,  the  congregation 
at  Skippack  was  still  further  divided  by  another  adventurer, 
John  William  Straub.  He  had  been  schoolmaster  at  Gronau 
in  the  Palatinate  (now  in  the  Grandduchy  of  Hesse,  south  of 
Darmstadt),  where  he  had  been  dismissed  because  of  immor- 
ality. He  arrived  at  Philadelphia  September  21,  1732.  His 
age  at  that  time  is  given  as  44  years.  Hence  he  was  born  in 
1688.  We  first  meet  him  at  Skippack  in  1739.  He  seems  to 
have  stayed  there  till  1741.  In  1742  we  find  him  at  Western 
Salisbury,  Lehigh  County,  where  he  preached  apparently  till 
1744.''^  In  1746  Schlatter  reports  him  as  preaching  at  Indian 
Creek. "°    After  that  he  disappeared. 

PETER  HENRY  DORSIUS,   1 737"  1743- 

More  important  for  Boehm  was  his  contact  with  Rev. 
Peter  Henry  Dorsius,  pastor  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  congre- 
gation at  Neshaminy,  Bucks  County. 

As  early  as  May  3,  1730,  the  Dutch  Reformed  people  of 
Bucks  County  wrote  to  Messrs.  David  Knibbe  and  John  Wil- 
helmius.  Reformed  pastors  in  Rotterdam,  requesting  them  to 
assist  them  in  securing  a  minister.  On  May  29,  1734,  Rev. 
John  Wilhelmius  wrote  them  that  he  had  found  "a  certain 
voung  man,  suitable  and  pious,  24  years  of  age,  who  still  needs 

"See  History  of  IV  est  em  Salisbury  Church,  1911,  p.  9. 
"According  to  private  "Diary  of  Schlatter,"  printed  in  Journal 
of  Presbyterian  Historical  Society,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  161. 


OPPONENTS  OF  BOEHM  55 

one  year  to  complete  his  studies".  His  name  was  Peter  Henry 
Dorsius.  He  had  been  born  at  Moers  near  the  Lower  Rhine, 
and  was  baptized  there  January  2,  171 1."  On  April  5,  1734, 
he  matriculated  in  the  university  of  Groningen  and  on  Septem- 
ber 17,  1736,  in  the  university  of  Ley  den.  He  was  examined 
by  the  Classis  of  Schieland  April  30,  1737,  and  ordained  by 
the  theological  faculty  at  Groningen  July  11,  1737.  Shortly 
afterwards  he  embarked  for  America.  He  landed  at  Philadel- 
phia September  26  (or  October  5,  new  style),  1737. 

A  year  after  his  arrival  Dorsius  asked  Boehm  to  visit  him, 
which  Boehm  did  on  November  28,  1738.  Dorsius  then  showed 
him  letters  from  the  two  Synods  of  North  and  South  Holland, 
in  which  he  was  asked  to  secure  information  about  the  Re- 
formed churches  in  Pennsylvania.  Dorsius  asked  Boehm  to  co- 
operate, which  he  promised  on  receipt  of  a  written  request. 
There  was  the  best  of  feeling  between  the  two  men,  as  is  evi- 
dent from  the  words  of  Boehm,  written  to  the  Classis  on 
November  16,  1739: 

"His  Reverence,  Mr.  Dorsius,  whom  the  Christian  Synods 
have  now  been  pleased  to  appoint  superintendent  of  our  true 
Church  in  Pennsylvania,  shows  indeed  a  real  zeal  faithfully 
to  do  all  he  can  for  the  Church  of  Jesus  in  this  country.  To 
this  end  God  has  blessed  him  with  much  wisdom".  In  a  simi- 
lar strain  Boehm  wrote  to  the  Classis  regarding  Dorsius  on 
IMarch  26,  1740.  But  the  good  feeling  did  not  last  very  long. 
When  Boehm  had  gathered  his  information  with  great  dif- 
ficulty in  the  depth  of  the  winter,  had  prepared  his  report  and 
had  handed  it  to  Dorsius,  in  March,  1740.  to  send  it  to  the 
Synods,  he  heard  shortly  afterwards,  that,  instead  of  sending 
the  report,  Dorsius  had  himself  prepared  a  report  on  its  basis 
and  had  sent  it  to  Holland,  keeping  meanwhile  Boehm's  origi- 

"  A  series  of  extracts  from  the  church  records  of  the  Reformed 
Church  at  Moers  were  secured  by  the  writer  with  the  kind  assistance 
of  the  present  pastor  of  that  church,  the  Rev.  VV.  Rotscheid.  September 
15,  1708,  John  Henry  Dorschius,  widower,  of  Meurs  and  Petronella 
Gravers,  of  Altkirch,  were  married.  Their  children  were:  (1)  Alethea 
bapt.  November  15,  1709;  (2)  Peter  Henry,  bapt.  January  2,  1711;  (3) 
Abraham,  bapt.  August  5,  1712;  (4)  Isaac,  bapt.  Dec.  22.  1713,  died  in 
infancy;  (0)  Isaac,  bapt.  March  8,  1715.  The  old  spelling  of  the  city 
was  Meurs,  but  the  present  spelling  is  Moers. 


56  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

nal  report  in  his  home.  This  displeased  Boehm  very  much  and 
led  to  an  argument  between  them,  in  which  Dorsius  main- 
tained that  he  was  the  only  medium  of  communication  between 
the  Synods  and  the  Pennsylvania  churches.  The  tension  was 
aggravated  when  Boehm  mentioned  the  fact  of  Dorsius  having 
retained  the  original  report  at  home  to  some  elders  from 
Goshenhoppen.  When  Dorsius  visited  Goshenhoppen,  Septem- 
ber 24,  1740,  he  was  asked  whether  he  had  sent  the  report  of 
Boehm  to  Holland.  Replying  in  the  affirmative,  he  was  con- 
fronted with  the  statement  of  Boehm  that  it  had  not  been 
sent.  This  angered  Dorsius  exceedingly  and  he  poured  out  his 
anger  in  unrestrained  language.  When  this  incident  was  re- 
ported to  Boehm,  he  felt  much  aggrieved.  He  reported  it  to 
the  Classis  July  25.  1741,  accompanying  his  statement  with  an 
affidavit  of  some  of  the  elders,  who  had  been  present  at  Gosh- 
enhoppen at  the  time  of  Dorsius'  visit  and  had  heard  his  out- 
burst against  Boehm. 

Another  cause  of  friction  was  the  fact  that  Dorsius,  to- 
gether with  Dr.  Diemer,  one  of  Boehm's  arch-enemies,  had 
been  appointed  by  the  Synods  to  settle  the  Reiff  case.  This 
was  regarded  by  Boehm  as  a  slight  to  himself,  as  Dorsius 
knew  practically  nothing  about  the  case,  while  Diemer  had 
been  one  of  the  conspirators,  who,  through  his  scheme  of  in- 
vesting the  funds  in  merchandise,  had  caused  the  whole  trouble. 
The  result  of  their  united  efforts  was  of  course  absolute  fail- 
ure, as  Boehm  had  predicted.  The  indifference  of  the  two 
prosecuting  agents  of  the  Synods  is  fully  set  forth  by  Boehm's 
elders,  in  March,  1741. 

In  1743,  when  his  salary  had  been  reduced  from  69  to  40 
pounds,  Dorsius  felt  that  he  had  to  do  something.  As  a  result 
he  determined  to  visit  Holland.  He  left  Pennsylvania  in  May, 
1743.  On  September  17-19,  1743,  he  appeared  before  the 
deputies  of  the  Synods  at  The  Hague.  When  they  asked  him 
what  had  brought  him  to  Holland,  he  answered  that  he  wished 
to  consult  the  deputies  about  his  work  and  find  out  whether 
he  might  be  permitted  to  leave  his  congregation  and  accept 
another,  or  whether  he  could  organize  a  congregation  in  Phila- 
delphia, in  order  to  increase  thereby  his  salary.  He  also  made 
a  long  report  about  the  condition  of  the  Pennsylvania  churches, 
"from  which  it  appeared  clearly  that  the  same  was  getting 


OPPONENTS  OF  BOEHM  57 

worse  all  the  time,  the  number  of  the  Reformed  people  were 
growing  less  constantly,  through  the  great  increase  of  the  Mor- 
avians and  the  powerful  agitation  of  Romish  missionaries". 
This  unfortunate  and  very  misleading  report  of  Dorsius  was 
probably  inspired  through  the  ill-feeling  that  existed  between 
him  and  Boehm.  After  Dorsius  had  returned  to  Pennsylvania 
in  January,  1744,  he  wrote  a  letter  to  the  deputies,  dated  Feb- 
ruary 16,  1744,  enclosing  a  report  by  him,  entitled  "Some  Means 
which  Do.  Dorsius  considers  as  useful  for  the  establishment 
and  preservation  of  our  Reformed  Church  in  the  Government 
of  Pennsylvania."^^  In  it  he  grouped  the  Reformed  churches 
into  six  charges,  and  stated  in  connection  with  each  how  much 
it  was  willing  to  pay  toward  a  minister's  salary.  But  he  failed 
to  hint  even  with  a  single  word  that  the  whole  plan  was  but 
a  reproduction  of  Boehm's  report  of  1739,  together  with  the 
congregational  pledges  of  1740,  which  he  had  failed  to  send  to 
Holland  in  1740,  and  which  now  in  1744  he  palmed  off  as  his 
own  work.  This  was  but  the  beginning  of  his  complete  moral 
collapse  a  few  years  later. 

The  decade  from  1730-1740  had  been  to  Boehm  a  period 
of  great  stress  and  strain,  but  with  the  perseverance  peculiar 
to  him,  he  emerged  from  it  victorious,  being  the  only  Reformed 
minister  who  during  the  whole  time  had  maintained  his  position. 

There  is  one  interesting  event  in  the  life  of  Boehm  during 
this  decade  which  had  nothing  of  a  controversial  character. 
On  April  27,  1738,  Mr.  Boehm  and  his  elder,  Sebastian  Reiff- 
schneider,  attended  a  meeting  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  ministers 
of  New  York,  which  had  been  called  to  deliberate  about  the 
advisability  of  organizing  a  Coetus  (Convention)  of  the  Re- 
formed Churches  in  the  colonies.  The  draft  of  a  constitution 
was  drawn  up  and  signed  by  those  present,"  but  the  organiza- 
tion itself  did  not  materialize. 

"  Preserved  at  The  Hague,  74,  I,  21. 

"  Published  by  Dr.  E.  T.  Corwin  in  Ecclesiastical  Records  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  Vol.  IV,  pp.  2706-2708. 


CHAPTER  V. 

BOEHM     AS    THE     FOUNDER    OF     CHURCHES. 

It  would  be  altogether  unfair  to  Boehm  to  think  or 
write  of  his  work  as  entirely  or  even  mainly  polemical.  The 
most  outstanding  and  enduring  feature  of  his  life-work  is  the 
part  he  took  in  the  founding  of  Reformed  churches  in  Penn- 
sylvania. There  are  at  least  eleven,  perhaps  twelve,  congrega- 
tions, in  whose  organization  he  was  directly  interested  and 
which  he  served  from  time  to  time. 

Reference  has  already  been  made  to  Boehm's  three  original 
congregations,  which  he  organized  in  the  year  1725,  Falkner 
Swamp,  Skippack  and  Whitemarsh.  The  number  of  men  in 
these  three  congregations  was  about  fifty  in  1725,  the  number 
of  communicant  members  about  one  hundred,  in  1728  the 
number  of  men  had  increased  to  fifty-eight,  namely  twenty- 
four  at  Falkner  Swamp,  about  twenty  at  Skippack  and  fourteen 
at  Whitemarsh. 

WHITEMARSH    REFORMED    CHURCH. 

The  congregation  at  Whitemarsh  met  at  all  times  in  the 
house  of  William  De  Wees.  The  house  was  still  standing 
recently  opposite  St.  Joseph's  Convent,  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Germantown  and  Perkiomen  turnpike,  after  it  has  passed  the 
bridge  across  the  Wissahickon.'*  The  number  of  communi- 
cants at  Whitemarsh  was  twenty-four  in  1734.  fifteen  in  1730, 
fifty-nine  in  1740,  fifty-one  in  1743.  In  1744,  Boehm  reported 
of  elder  William  De  Wees:  "That  honest  man  cherishes  a 
steadfast  and  pious  hope  that  God  will  yet  furnish  means  (to 
build  a  church)".  But  his  hope  was  not  realized.  He  died 
March  3,  1745.     In  November,  1746,  Boehm  reported  to  the 

"See  Keyser,  Old  Historic  Germantown  (Proceedings  of  Pa. 
German  Society,  Vol.  XV),  p.  34;  for  a  picture  of  the  house  see  Key- 
ser, 1.  c,  pi.  facing  p.  72.  The  house  was  only  a  few  hundred  feet  to 
the  west  of  the  Dewees  paper  mill.     See  Keyser,  1.  c,  p.  38. 


IlUL'Si;   UI*    WILLIAM    DL  WLKS,    IN    VVHiCii    Xllli 
WHITEJMARSH    CONGREGATION    MET 


CORNERSTONE  OF  THE  OLD  GOSHENHOl'PEN   CIIL'KCII,    1744 


FOUNDER  OF  CHURCHES  59 

Synods,  "the  congregation  at  Whitemarsh,  which  at  all  times 
consisted  of  but  few  members,  through  the  death  of  the  aged, 
faithful  elder  William  De  Wees,  has  come  to  a  standstill  [has 
been  discontinued],  because  his  house  was  at  all  times  our 
church,  but  since  his  death  it  can  be  so  no  longer,  nor  is  there 
any  opportunity  to  worship  elsewhere,  much  less  are  there  the 
means  to  build  a  church".  The  lower  part  of  the  congregation 
was  then  joined  to  Germantown,  the  upper  part  to  Old  Goshen- 
hoppen. 

SKIPPACK    REFORMED   CHURCH. 

Sixteen  miles  from  Whitemarsh  in  a  northwesterly  direc- 
tion, in  what  is  now  Lower  Salford  township,  was  founded 
the  Skippack  congregation  in  the  year  1725.  The  congrega- 
tion met  at  first  in  the  house  of  Jacob  Reifif,  from  which 
Boehm  and  his  adherents  were  expelled  on  Sunday,  March  10, 
1728.  Even  before  that  time  Boehm  and  his  elders  had  started 
to  build  a  church.  But  Jacob  Reiff  and  his  brothers  succeeded 
in  securing  a  title  to  the  land  in  their  own  name"  and  hence, 
when  the  church  was  dedicated  on  June  22,  1729,  as  the  first 
German  Reformed  church  in  the  province,  it  was  held  by  Reiflf 
and  his  followers.  Rev.  George  MHchael  Weiss  was  the  first 
pastor,  who  preached  in  this  church  till  his  departure  for  Hol- 
land in  May  1730.  On  May  i,  1730,  Weiss  held  his  last  com- 
munion at  Skippack,  while  on  May  7th  and  ]\Iay  17th  two  fare- 
well services  were  held  there  by  him.  Mr.  Dotterer  describes 
the  location  of  the  Skippack  Reformed  church  as  follows : 

"The  plantation  which  Jacob  Reifif  retained  for  his  home 
was  located  near  the  south  east  border  of  the  present  town- 
ship of  Lower  Salford,  on  both  sides  of  the  Little  Branch 
creek,  near  the  Skippack.  This  property  became  famous  as 
the  place  upon  which  the  Skippack  Reformed  Church  was 
erected.  .  .  .  About  two  hundred  yards  east  of  the  grave- 
yard is  the  spot  on  which  stood  the  log  church.  The  site  of  the 
old  church  is  at  the  edge  of  the  woods,  where  is  still  to  be 
seen  something  of  a  glebe,  such  as  betrays  a  venerable  place. 
The  logs  of  the  church  were  used  in  the  erection  of  what  is 

"  The  land  was  secured  by  Jacob  Reiff,  December  1,  1727,  see 
Heckler,  History  of  Lozver  Salford  Tozvnship,  p.  99. 


60  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

now  Allebach's  mill,  on  the  Schippach,  where  they  still  form 
the  walls  of  that  old  building"." 

During  Boehm's  lifetime  there  were  two  Reformed  congre- 
gations at  Skippack.  The  Reiff  faction  which  worshipped  in 
the  church  on  the  Reiff  property  and  the  adherents  of  Boehm. 
The  party  of  Reiff  had  the  following  pastors:  George  Michael 
Weiss,  1727-1730;  John  Peter  Miller,  1 730-1 731  John  Bartho- 
lomew Rieger,  1731-1734;  John  Henry  Goetschy,  1735-1739; 
and  John  William  Straub,  1739-1741.  After  that  they  were 
apparently  without  a  regular  pastor. 

Boehm  and  his  followers  worshipped  at  first  in  private 
houses.  But  on  March  20,  1735,  Boehm  and  two  of  his  elders, 
Gabriel  Schuler,  of  Salford,  and  Ulrich  Stephen  of  Skippack, 
bought  a  tract  of  150  acres  and  154  perches  from  Christian 
Allebach  and  Christian  Myers,  Jr.,  executors  of  the  last  will 
of  Christian  Stauffer."  This  land  is  now  a  part  of  the  village 
of  Harleysville.  On  it  was  a  well-built  house,  in  which  the 
congregation  worshipped  till  December,  1745,  when  Boehm 
was  compelled  to  sell  the  land  again,  as  no  help  came  to  him 
from  Holland.  Under  date  October  20,  1746,  Schlatter  reports 
in  his  private  diary :  "If  the  scattered  Skippack  congregation, 
which  I  have  not  yet  visited,  could  again  be  brought  together, 
it  could  be  most  advantageously  united  with  it  [Indian  Creek], 
for  they  are  only  six  miles  apart  and  no  river  is  between  them. 
Hitherto  a  linen  weaver,  named  Straub,  has  preached  every 
three  weeks  in  this  congregation  [Indian  Creek],  and  has  per- 
formed ministerial  acts,  but  he  has  now  promised  me  to  ad- 
minister the  sacraments  no  more".'^  A  report  of  Boehm,  made 
in  November,  1746,  is  similar:  "The  congregation  has  been 
scattered  by  past  divisions,  so  that,  according  to  all  appearance, 
there  is  no  more  hope  of  maintaining  a  congregation  there. 
The  few  members  of  the  upper  part  can  conveniently  go  to 
Old  Goshenhoppen".  In  1747,  there  were  18  men  at  Skippack. 
who  promised  eight  pounds  and  eight  shillings  for  a  pastor, 
who  would  minister  to  them.'®     In  November,   1748,  Boehm 

"  See  Heckler,  History  of  Lower  Salford,  pp.  99,  109. 
"  See  Heckler,  1.  c,  pp.  4-6. 

"  See  "Diary  of   Schlatter,"  printed  in  Journal   of  Presbyterian 
Historical  Society,  Vol.  HI,  p.  161. 
"  See  Coetus  Minutes,  p.  38. 


FOUNDER  OF  CHURCHES  61 

informed  Schlatter  that  "Skippack  had  scattered  of  itself  and 
was  no  more".  Nevertheless,  the  congregation  continued  its 
shadowy  existence  in  some  form,  for  in  1755  Schlatter  gave 
100  fl.  of  the  Reiff  money  to  the  congregation  at  Skippack.®*^ 
This  is  the  last  reference  to  it.  In  1762,  Wentz's  Reformed 
Church  in  Worcester  township  was  organized  as  the  successor 
of  the  Skippack  Church. 

falkni:r  swamp  reformed  church. 

The  Falkner  Swamp  congregation  is  the  only  one  of  the 
three  original  congregations  of  Boehm,  which  has  survived  to 
the  present  day.  It  is  located  in  what  is  now  New  Hanover 
township,  Montgomery  County,  about  twelve  miles  north-west 
from  the  former  Skippack  church.  This  congregation  also, 
like  that  of  Whitemarsh,  met  at  first  in  private  houses.  Its 
first  officers  in  1728  were:  Frederick  Antes,  George  Philip 
Dotterer,  Jacob  Meyer,  John  Berkenbeil,  Sebastian  Reifsnyder 
and  George  Klauer.  The  congregation  grew  rapidly.  In  1738. 
the  number  of  communicants  was  89,  in  1740  it  had  increased 
to  152.  and  in  1743  to  236.  In  1741,  the  elders  of  the  con- 
gregation bought  three  quarters  of  an  acre  for  church  and 
cemetery,  on  which  they  erected  a  church.  On  June  21,  1741, 
the  first  services  were  held  in  this  church.  In  1744,  Boehm 
speaks  of  it  as  a  "well  built  frame  church",  on  which  the  con- 
gregation owed  nearly  sixty  pounds.  In  1746,  Boehm  reported 
that  Falkner  Swamp,  being  twenty  miles  from  his  home  in 
Whitpain,  was  very  difficult  for  him  to  supply,  as  he  was  get- 
ing  feeble,  but  in  the  fall  of  1748,  he  had  the  joy  of  installing 
his  successor,  the  Rev.  John  Philip  Leydich,  who  had  arrived 
in  Philadelphia  September  15,  1748.  The  installation  of  Ley- 
dich took  place  on  October  16,  1748.^^ 

'"  See  Coetus  Minutes,  p.  128.  A  detailed  history  of  the  "Skip- 
pack  Reformed  Church."  was  published  by  Mr.  Dotterer  in  the  Lansdale 
Reporter,  beginning  February  25,  1886.  See  Dotterer,  Historical  Notes 
of  Montgomery  County,  pp.  117-125.  (A  book  of  clippings  in  the 
library  of  the  Pa.  Hist.  Society,  at  Philadelphia.) 

"  For  the  history  of  the  Falkner  Swamp  Reformed  Church,  see 
the  address  of  Mr.  Dotterer,  printed  in  his  Historical  Notes,  pp.  86-89, 
106-109;  also  G.  W.  Roth,  History  of  the  Falkner  Swamp  Reformed 
Church,  New  Hanover,  1904,  pp.  71. 


62  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

CONESTOGA  REFORMED  CHURCHES. 

While  Boehm  was  organizing  the  Reformed  people  in  the 
Perkiomen  valley  into  three  congregations  in  1725,  another  Re- 
formed leader  was  doing  the  same  thing  in  the  Conestoga 
valley,  in  Lancaster  County.  It  was  John  Conrad  Tempelman, 
a  pious  tailor  from  Heidelberg,  Germany.  He  was  born  at 
Weinheim  in  the  Palatinate  and  was  baptized  there  March  22, 
1692.  In  1717,  we  find  him  at  Heidelberg,  where  he  lived  at 
the  foot  of  the  castle  hill.  He  was  married  September  22, 
1717,  to  Anna  Maria  Barth.  They  had  two  children,  Anna 
Margaret,  baptized  September  11,  1718,  and  Anna  Maria,  bap- 
tized March  16,  1721.  Shortly  afterwards  and  before  1725, 
Tempelman  with  his  family  reached  Pennsylvania  and  settled 
in  the  Conestoga  valley.  In  a  most  important  letter,  which  he 
wrote  to  the  Synods  of  North  and  South  Holland  on  February 


c3^-*-^<:?t-'^-^  /-''-^^<^^e4i' 4lLi 


'C?t..**,4. 


SIGNATURE  OF   CONRAD   TEMPELMAN. 

13,  1733,  he  relates  the  origin  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the 
Conestoga  valley  :^- 

"The  church  at  Chanastocka  had  its  origin  in  the  year 
1725,  with  a  small  gathering  in  houses  here  and  there,  with  the 
reading  of  a  sermon  and  with  song  and  prayer,  according  to 
their  High  German  Church  Order  upon  all  Sundays  and  holi- 
days, but,  on  account  of  the  lack  of  a  minister,  without  the 
administration  of  baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper. 

"Thereafter  Dom.  Boehm  served  them,  at  first  [1727] 
voluntarily  at  the  request  of  the  people,  later,  after  being  fully 
ordained,  he  administered  baptism  and  communion  to  them  for 
the  space  of  two  years  [i 730-1 731],  upon  a  yearly  call,  al- 
though he  lived  a  distance  of  twenty-one  hours  [about  63 
miles]  away  from  them,  being  satisfied  with  their  small  volun- 
tary gifts.     Subsequently  he  also  established  a  church  order 

"The  original  letter  of  Tempelman  is  lost,  but  an  abstract  in 
Dutch  is  preserved  in  the  archives  at  The  Hague,  74,  I,  14. 


FOUNDER  OF  CHURCHES  63 

[constitution]  among  them  and  the  congregation  chose  elders, 
and  he  himself  [Tempelman]  exercised  a  strict  and  careful 
supervision,  so  that  all  things  went  on  in  a  good  order  in  this 
congregation. 

"Further,  the  writer  reports  that  the  congregation,  on  ac- 
count of  enlargement  and  great  distance  between  the  members, 
has  divided  itself  into  six  meeting  places  in  Chanastocka,  three 
of  which  places  are  served  by  a  Reformed  minister,  Johann 
Peter  Muller  by  name,  by  whom  also  another  strong  congrega- 
tion is  served  about  seven  hours  [21  miles]  distant,  called  Dal- 
benhacken  [Tulpehocken]. 

"But  that  they  now,  by  reason  of  the  division  of  the  con- 
gregation, can  no  longer  be  served  by  Do.  Boehm,  nor  by  the 
aforesaid  Muller,  both  by  reason  of  the  great  extent  of  the 
localities  and  because  of  the  manifold  occupations  and  heavy 
labor  wherewith  he  is  overburdened.     .     .     . 

"The  entire  north  side,  twenty-four  hours  [sixty  miles] 
distant  from  Philadelphia,  named  Chanastocka  (which  is  not  a 
town  but  a  tract  of  land  so  named  after  a  certain  creek)  is  set- 
tled by  Germans  and  English.  Three  of  the  meeting  places  of  the 
Reformed  people  cover  an  area,  seven  hours  [21  miles] 
long  and  seven  hours  wide.  But  they  say  that  they  can  give 
no  report  to  the  Christian  Synods  regarding  the  three  places 
ministered  unto  by  Do.  Muller.  Nevertheless,  they  hope  that 
the  said  preacher  will  make  known  his  own  needs  (inasmuch 
as  he  cannot  well  subsist  by  the  free  will  gifts  of  the  people)  as 
well  as  the  condition  of  his  congregation  and  his  elders. 

"Regarding  the  three  first-named  meeting  places  they  give 
further  report  to  the  Reverend  Christian  Synods  [Classes]  of 
Amsterdam  and  Rotterdam,  concerning  the  members  and 
elders  belonging  to  them,  with  the  autograph  signatures  of  the 
latter. 

"It   is   signed  Conrad  Tempelman, 

"Reader  of  the  Congregation." 

(N.  B.    He  seems  to  be  the  writer  of  the  letter). 
Members  55,  Elders : 

Rudolf  Heller  (l.  s.) 
Michael    Albert  (l.  s.) 
Andries  M (l.  s.) 


64  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

"At  the  second  meeting  place  are  the  following  number  of 
members  and  elders : 

Members  51,  Elders: 

Hans  Georg  Swab  (l.  s.) 
Johannes  Gohr   (l.  s.) 
Conrad  Werns  (l.  s.) 

"At  the  third  meeting  place  are  the  following  members  and 
elders : 

Members  30,  Elders : 

Johann   Jacob   Hook  (l.  s.) 
Andries  Halsbrun  {h.  s.) 
Nicolaus (l.  s.)"- 

The  fact  that  Tempelman  has  given  us  the  names  of  the 
elders  of  these  congregations  enables  us  to  identify  them.  The 
first  of  these  preaching  places  is  identical  with  what  Boehm 
calls  the  Hill  Church  in  Conestoga.  Michael  Albert  is  given 
by  him  as  one  of  the  elders  in  1740,  The  modern  name  is 
Heller's  Reformed  Church  in  Upper  Leacock  township,  Lan- 
caster County.^^  The  second  preaching  place  is  identical  with 
Cocalico.  The  names  of  Conrad  Werns  and  Johannes  Geht 
are  found  in  the  old  Cocalico  record.  Moreover,  we  know 
from  the  printed  defense  of  Jacob  Lischy  that  Conrad  Werns 
lived  near  Ephrata  in  1743.  The  third  preaching  place  is 
Lancaster,  whose  elder,  John  Jacob  Hock,  was  elected  in  1736 
as  the  first  regular  pastor  of  the  Lancaster  congregation. 

About  these  congregations  we  learn  many  interesting  de- 
tails from  the  reports  of  Boehm,     According  to  his  report  of 

"  At  the  Coetus  of  1748,  the  first  Conestoga  church  was  repre- 
sented by  John  "Lein."  In  1746  John  "Leyn"  and  Michael  Weidler 
signed  the  pledge  of  the  Conestoga  church  for  eight  pounds  and  twenty- 
five  bushels  of  oats,  towards  a  minister's  salary.  Both  of  these  men 
are  found  on  the  deed  of  the  Heller  church  property.  On  February 
11,  1743,  Philip  Scot,  of  Leacock  township,  Lancaster  County,  sold  to 
John  Line,  Jr.,  and  Michael  Widler  two  acres  of  land  for  the  sum 
of  eight  shillings.  This  land,  "whereon  the  meeting  house  now  stands," 
was  deeded  "for  the  use  of  the  Presbiteirian  Congregation  of  the  said 
Church  in  Leacock  aforesaid."  In  the  cemetery,  adjoining  Heller's 
Church,  Michael  Weidler  was  buried,  having  died  July  23,  1770.  His 
tombstone  is  still  preserved.  See  D.  W.  Gerhard,  History  of  the  New 
Holland  Charge,  New  Holland,  1877,  p.  119. 


FOUNDER  OF  CHURCHES  65 

1744,  he  celebrated  his  first  communion  at  Conestoga  on  Octo- 
ber 14,  1727,  when  59  members  communed.  Having  visited 
the  congregation  a  few  times,  Weiss  took  it  away  from  him, 
but  he  soon  left  it  again.  After  his  ordination  the  congrega- 
tion in  Conestoga  invited  Boehm.  again  to  visit  them.  This  he 
did  on  May  30,  1730,  when  he  told  them  about  his  ordination 
in  New  York  and  about  the  constitution  his  churches  had 
agreed  to  accept.  They  then  expressed  their  readiness  to  be 
taken  under  the  care  of  the  Amsterdam  Classis.  To  that  end 
they  drew  up  a  petition,  which  Boehm  agreed  to  send  to  Hol- 
land. From  1731-1732  John  Peter  Miller  ministered  to  the 
congregation.  Then  the  division  into  six  preaching  places  was 
effected,  of  which  Tempelman  speaks  in  his  letter.  Three  of 
these  were  served  by  Miller  and  three  by  Tempelman.  The 
former  included  perhaps  Muddy  Creek,  White  Oaks  and  Sel- 
tenreich. 

When  Miller  had  gone  over  to  the  Seventh  Day  Dunkers, 
Boehm  was  again  invited  by  the  Conestoga  congregations.  He 
went  there  again,  and  on  May  11,  1735,  ninety-two  members 
communed  at  the  Hill  Church  in  Upper  Leacock  township,  and 
sixty  members  at  Cocalico,  "which  had  been  gathered  pre- 
viously". The  Cocalico  congregation,  near  Ephrata,  originated 
most  likely  during  the  ministry  of  Boehm  from  1730-1731.^* 

After  the  year  1735,  the  congregations  in  the  Conestoga 
valley  made  Conrad  Tempelman  their  pastor.  Boehm  says 
of  him  in  1744:  "Of  the  same  I  noticed  at  that  time  nothing 
wrong  in  his  life  and  conduct,  and  since  have  heard  of  him 
nothing  but  what  was  praiseworthy,  especially  that  he  is  very 
watchful  against  the  sects  and  that  his  congregations  are  ver>' 
much  united".  When  Schlatter  visited  Lancaster  County  in 
June,  1747,  Muddy  Creek,  Cocalico  and  White  Oaks  were  still 
served  by  Tempelman. 

"  For  a  detailed  account  of  the  early  history  of  the  Conestoga 
and  Cocalico  Churches,  see  the  writer's  articles  in  the  Reformed  Church 
Messenger,  entitled  "Early  History  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the 
Conestoga  Valley,"  Messenger  of  January  4,  11,  18,  1900;  also  the  "His- 
tory of  the  Cocalico  Charge,"  from  1750-1800,  in  the  Reformed  Church 
Record,  of  February  15,  22,  and  March  1,  1900. 


66  '  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

TULPEHOCKEN   REFORMED  CHURCHES. 

Another  congregation,  which  Boehm  organized  in  1727, 
was  Tulpehocken.  It  had  been  settled  by  Palatines  coming 
from  the  State  of  New  York  in  1723.  Conrad  Weiser 
describes  its  origin  as  follows : 

"The  people  got  news  of  the  land  on  the  Swatara  and 
Tulpehocken  in  Pennsylvania.  Many  of  them  united  and  cut 
a  road  from  Schoharie  [N.  Y.]  to  the  Susquehanna  River, 
carried  their  goods  there,  made  canoes  and  floated  them  down 
the  river  to  the  mouth  of  the  Swatara  creek  [where  Middle- 
town  is  situated  at  present],  and  drove  their  cattle  over  land. 
This  happened  in  the  spring  of  the  year  1723.  From  there 
they  came  to  Tulpehocken,  and  this  was  the  beginning  of  the 
Tulpehocken  settlement".  The  original  colony  consisted  of 
thirty-three  families,  which  were  soon  followed  bv  others. 
How  many  of  them  were  Reformed  cannot  be  determined  at 
present.  The  Lutheran  settlers  induced  their  former  minister 
at  Schoharie,  Bernhard  von  Thieren,  to  visit  them  occasionally. 
They  were  also  visited  by  Rev.  Anthony  Jacob  Henckel  of 
Falkner  Swamp.  At  the  suggestion  of  the  latter  a  church  was 
built  in  1727.  This  church  was  at  first  a  union  church.  This 
is  distinctly  asserted  by  a  number  of  contemporaneous  docu- 
ments. In  1747.  Conrad  Weiser  wrote  to  Rev.  Peter  Brun- 
holtz,  a  Lutheran  minister : 

"In  1729,  I  began  to  live  at  this  place.  A  few  years  pre- 
viously the  Lutherans  had  built  a  little  church  or  meeting 
house,  in  which  Lutherans  as7vell  as  so-called  Reformed  people 
came  together,  and  were  led  by  a  reader  in  their  divine  ser- 
vices".®^ 

A  similar  statement  is  found  in  Saur's  Paper,  under  date 
October  16,  1747:  "About  twenty  years  ago  the  Lutherans  at 
Dolpehocken  built  a  little  church  and  laid  out  a  cemetery,  where 
Lutherans,  as  well  as  Reformed,  buried  their  dead". 

Finally  a  document  presented  to  the  court  of  Berks  county 

"  See  Heinrich  Melchior  Muehlenberg,  Selbstbiographic,  1711-1743, 
Allentown,  1881,  p.  232;  also  Fresenius,  Bewaehrte  Nachrichtcn,  Vol. 
Ill,  p.  848. 


FOUNDER  OF  CHURCHES  U7 

in  1755,  is  still  clearer  in  its  statements:^®  "In  the  year  1725, 
Tulpehocken  was  first  settled  by  about  fifty  families,  who  came 
from  the  County  of  Albany,  in  the  Province  of  New  York, 
chiefly  Lutherans  and  (so  called)  Reformed  or  Calvinists.  A 
few  years  after  the  Lutherans  built  a  church  (the  Reformed 
assisting  them)  in  the  heart  of  Tulpenhocken". 

Boehm  visited  Tulpehocken  for  the  first  time  October  18, 

1727,  when  thirty-two  members  communed.     But  on  June  28, 

1728,  only  twenty-seven  communicants  were  present.  That 
may  have  been  due  to  the  interference  of  Weiss,  who  entered 
all  of  Boehm's  congregations  to  protest  against  his  ministry. 
A  year  after  his  ordination  Boehm  went  again  to  Tulpehocken, 
on  November  23,  1730.  A  year  later,  John  Peter  Miller  was 
called  by  the  Reformed  people  of  Tulpehocken  "to  be  their 
teacher,  which  ofiice  he  served  among  them  and  in  other  places 
during  four  years".  During  Miller's  ministry  the  services 
were  still  held,  part  of  the  time,  in  the  Lutheran  church,  for 
the  Lutheran  Tulpehocken  record,  now  in  the  archives  at 
Bethlehem,  states :  "Peter  Mueller,  a  Reformed  minister, 
came  also  to  us  and  preached  almost  two  years".  But  a  church 
was  built  for  the  Reformed  people  during  the  latter  part  of 
Miller's  ministry.  This  is  implied  in  the  Ephrata  Chronicle®^ 
which  refers  to  a  conversation  between  Conrad  Weiser  and 
Conrad  Beissel,  in  which  the  latter  asked  his  visitor :  "What  is 
the  other  [Miller]  doing?  He  was  told  that  he  was  engaged 
in  building.  Ay,  Ay,  he  replied,  let  him  build  on;  he  has  but 
little  more  time  left". 

As  soon  as  Miller  withdrew,  Boehm  was  again  called  by 
the  congregation  to  visit  them  twice  a  year,  in  order  to  hold 
communion  services  for  them.  In  1737,  the  number  of  com- 
municants was  one  hundred  and  three,  in  1740,  they  numbered 
one  hundred  and  nineteen.  In  1736,  Goetschy  tried  to  break 
into  the  congregation  by  "three  uncalled-for  visits".  Similar 
visits  were  made  by  him  in  1740,  but  he  did  not  succeed  in 
taking  the  congregation  away   from  Boehm.    In   1738.  there 

"  Printed  in  full  in  Dr.  Schmauk's  History  of  the  Lutheran 
Church  in  Pennsylvania,  p.  570f.  Compare  also  the  statement  in  the 
"Tulpehocken  Confusion,"  in  which  reference  is  made  to  "the  Reformed 
at  that  time  [1733]  dwelling  with  us,"  see  Schmauk,  1.  c,  p.  476. 

"  See  Ephrata  Chronicle,  Engl.  Ed.,  p.  71f. 


68  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

was  a  division,  on  account  of  the  wide  extent  of  territory 
covered  by  the  congregation.  On  October  19th  and  22,  1738, 
communion  services  were  held  for  the  first  time  at  two  places 
in  Tulpehocken.  In  January,  1739,  Boehm  reported  that  at 
Tulpehocken  there  was  a  log  church,  not  serviceable  for  public 
worship  nor  centrally  located. 

In  order  to  determine  the  location  and  identity  of  these 
two  Tulpehocken  churches,  we  must  consider  some  later  state- 
ments of  Boehm.  According  to  his  statistics  of  the  year  1743, 
the  older  congregation  built  a  new  church  in  that  year.  Of 
this  congregation  Boehm  reported  in  1744,  that  it  had  received 
four  acres  as  a  gift  and,  as  Boehm  puts  it,  "they  built  upon  it 
a  tolerably  large,  beautiful  and  well-built  frame  church".  The 
other  Tulpehocken  congregation  had,  as  Boehm  states  in  1744, 
"some  years  ago  bought  100  acres  of  land  and  built  a  small 
church  upon  it,  but  it  is  now  altogether  too  small". 

Comparing  with  these  statements  of  Boehm  the  deeds  of 
the  two  Tulpehocken  churches  we  find  that  the  Host  Church 
in  Tulpehocken  township,  Berks  County,  holds  deeds  for  four 
acres  of  land,  which  correspond  with  the  four  acres  of  the 
older  church,  as  mentioned  by  Boehm.  On  March  25,  1754, 
George  Kantner  granted  to  Valentine  Unruh  and  John  Mayer 
two  acres,  which  in  a  declaration  of  trust,  these  two  men 
acknowledged  to  have  been  deeded  to  them  "in  trust  to  the 
intent  only,  that  we  or  such  or  so  many  of  us  as  shall  be  and 
continue  of  the  community  and  in  religious  fellowship  with  the 
said  congregation  and  remain  members  of  the  Dutch  Calvinist 
Church  aforesaid".  On  March  26,  1754,  John  Riegel  and  his 
wife  Catherine  Elisabeth  deeded  to  Valentine  Unruh  and  John 
Mayer,  two  acres  of  land  adjoining  John  Riegel's  land  in 
Tulpehocken  township,  the  consideration  being  twenty  shill- 
ings.    This  was  sufficient  to  cover  the  lawyer's  fees. 

Trinity  Tulpehocken  Church,  three  miles  east  of  Myers- 
town  and  one  and  a  half  mile  west  of  Stouchsburg,  just  across 
the  county  line,  in  Lebanon  County,  holds  a  deed  which  shows 
that  on  December  10,  1745,  Caspar  Wister  and  his  wife 
Catherine  sold  to  Valentine  Hergelrood,  Adam  Diflfenbach, 
Francis  Wenrich,  Jonas  Lerue,  Henry  Bassler  and  Bartholo- 
mew ShefTer,  all  of  Tulpehocken,  one  hundred  acres  of  land, 
in  consideration  of  the  sum  of  forty  pounds  of  lawful  money 


FOUNDER  OF  CHURCHES  69 

to  them  paid,  situated  on  Tulpehocken  creek,  in  Tulpehocken 
township.  This  is  evidently  the  land  of  the  second  Tulpe- 
hocken church  mentioned  by  Boehm.®^ 

This  division  was  considered  at  first  by  Boehm  a  tem- 
porary arrangement.  He  advised  the  Tulpehocken  people  to 
unite  in  building  a  central  church  large  enough  to  accommodate 
all.  For  a  while,  it  seems,  his  arguments  prevailed.  However, 
he  could  not  stem  the  tide  for  any  length  of  time.  New  set- 
tlements had  been  begun  west  of  the  Tulpehocken  on  the  Quito- 
pahilla  and  Swatara,  and  the  people  living  there  demanded 
religious  services.  As  early  as  March  i,  1737,^^  Conrad  Tem- 
pelman  had  taken  up  200  acres  of  land  in  Lebanon  township. 
On  this  farm,  which  was  located  "four  miles  south-east  of 
Lebanon,  at  a  place  called  Tempelman's  Hill",  he  resided  to 
the  end  of  his  life,  and  from  there  as  a  center  he  ministered  to 
the  neighboring  congregations. 

In  1740,  Boehm  proposed  to  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam  to 
organize  Tulpehocken  with  Quitopahilla  and  Swatara  (con- 
gregations reported  to  be  of  considerable  strength)  into  a  regu- 
lar charge,  and  asked  Classis  to  send  them  a  minister.  M'ean- 
while  he  advised  those  at  Quitopahilla  to  unite  temporarily 
with  the  western  part  of  the  Tulpehocken  congregation.  They 
accepted  the  advice  and  hence,  in  March,  1740,  Boehm  could 
report  to  the  Classis :  "They  at  Quitopahilla  joined  the  con- 
gregation at  Tulpehocken  the  more  readily,  because  the  latter 
will  have  to  be  served  at  two  places,  on  account  of  its  wide 
extent  and  rapid  growth.  One  of  these  places  will  be  nearer 
to  them  to  go  to  church  to,  and  may  be  counted  instead  of 
Quitopahilla,  because  it  extends  in  that  direction  and  is  already 
in  use". 

On  February  11,  1740,  Boehm  visited  Tulpehocken  and 
secured  from  the  elders  the  pledge  that  the  congregation  would 
pay  fifteen  pounds  and  fifty  bushels  of  oats  towards  a  minister's 
salary.  Swatara  promised,  on  the  14th  of  February,  five 
pounds  and  ten  bushels  of  oats  for  the  same  purpose. 

"The  "Early  History  of  the  Tulpehocken  Church,  1727-1747," 
was  presented  in  full  in  a  series  of  articles  by  the  writer  in  the  Reformed 
Church  Messenger  of  June  26,  July  10  and  July  17,  1902. 

"See  Wm.  Egle,  History  of  Lebanon  County,  p.  8. 


70  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

In  April,  1741,  Rieger  tried  to  take  the  Tulpehocken  churches 
away  from  Boehm,  but,  owing  to  some  ill-considered  remarks 
which  he  made  in  the  presence  of  several  of  the  elders,  he  did 
not  succeed. 

In  1743,  Tupehocken,  like  other  Reformed  congregations, 
felt  the  influence  of  the  union  movement  of  Count  Zinzendorf. 
As  one  of  the  missionaries  of  the  movement,  Jacob  Lischy, 
came  to  Tulpehocken  and  offered  to  preach  for  the  people. 
But,  when  they  discovered  that  he  was  connected  with  Zin- 
zendorf, they  sent  him  away. 

In  1743,  Tulpehocken,  like  other  Reformed  congregations, 
tified  Boehm  that  they  had  written  to  the  Consistory  of  Zwei- 
bruecken,  and  that  they  had  been  promised  a  pastor.  Mean- 
while, they  assured  Boehm,  they  would  be  loyal  to  him  until  the 
new  minister  should  arrive.  He  appeared  in  December,  1744. 
It  was  the  Rev.  Casper  Ludwig  Schnorr.  On  March  15,  1745, 
he  informed  the  Classis^"  that  he  had  accepted  Lancaster,  but 
was  reserving  twelve  Sundays  in  a  year  for  Tulpehocken  and 
the  neighboring  congregations.  But  his  ministry  was  cut  short 
by  his  offensive  conduct.  In  April,  1746,  Schnorr  entered  his 
last  baptism  into  the  church  record  at  Lancaster.  Shortly 
afterwards  he  went  to  the  State  of  New  York. 

The  25th  of  September,  1746,  was  a  memorable  day  in  the 
history  of  the  congregation.  On  that  day  Schlatter,  Weiss  and 
Boehm  were  in  "the  wooden  church"  at  Tulpehocken.  Schlatter 
preached  to  an  audience  of  more  than  six  hundred  people,  and 
administered  the  communion  to  loi  communicants.  After  the 
service  the  people  pledged  themselves  to  give  fifty  pounds  to  a 
minister's  salary.^^  Schlatter  made  out  a  call,  and  in  answer 
to  that  call  the  Coetus  of  1748  appointed  the  Rev.  Dominicus 
Bartholomaeus  to  go  to  Tulpehocken  as  the  first  settled  pastor. 

PHILADELPHIA    REFORMED    CHURCH. 

There  was  a  third  congregation  to  which  Boehm  began 
preaching  in  the  year  1727.  It  was  the  Philadelphia  congrega- 
tion. It  is  a  fact  which  deserves  special  emphasis  that  Boehm 
preached  in  Philadelphia  before  the  arrival  of  Weiss  in  Sep- 

"'  The  original  letter  is  in  the  Classical  Archives  at  .'\nisterdam. 
"  See  Schlatter's  Life  and  Travels,  by  Dr.  Henry  Harbaugh.  p.  134. 


FOUNDER  OF  CHURCHES  71 

tember,  1727.  In  his  report  of  1744  Boehm  makes  these  signi- 
ficant statements:  "As  regards  the  congregation  at  Philadel- 
phia, IMr.  Weiss  took  also  that  out  of  my  hands  on  his  arrival, 
by  the  above  mentioned  opponents,  for  I  had  then  already 
preached  there  a  few  times  at  their  request".  This  proves 
that  the  congregation  at  Philadelphia  in  some  form  was  in 
existence  before  Weiss  organized  it  in  the  fall  of  1727.  Boehm 
had  probably  not  yet  attempted  a  regular  oraganization.  If 
that  had  taken  place  he  would  no  doubt  have  mentioned  it. 

On  the  Sunday  following  his  arrival,  September  24,  1727, 
Weiss  celebrated  the  first  communion  service  at  Philadelphia. 
That  is  the  first  fixed  date  in  the  history  of  the  congregation. 
Before  the  close  of  the  year  the  following  elders  were  installed 
at  Philadelphia  by  Weiss:  Peter  Lecolie,  John  William  Roehrig, 
Hendrik  Weller  and  George  Peter  Hillegass.  It  was  while 
pastor  at  Philadelphia  that  Weiss  published  in  1729  the  first 
Reformed  book  printed  in  Pennsylvania.  It  was  directed 
against  the  New  Born,  a  sect  which  had  been  founded  about 
1718  at  Oley,  Berks  County,  by  Matthias  Baumann.  To  coun- 
teract the  influence  of  these  "most  terrible  of  all  men,  who 
without  hesitation  declare  themselves  equal  to  God  and  greater 
than  our  Saviour"  (as  Boehm  calls  them),  Weiss  wrote  his 
little  book,  whose  title  may  be  rendered  as  follows  in  English : 
"The  Minister  traveling  about  in  the  American  Wilderness 
among  people  of  different  nationalities  and  religions,  and  fre- 
quently attacked ;  portrayed  and  presented  in  a  dialogue  with  a 
citizen  and  a  New  Born.  Treating  of  different  subjects,  but 
especially  of  the  new  birth.  Prepared  and  to  the  advancement 
of  the  honor  of  Jesus  composed  from  his  own  experience  by 
George  Michael  Weiss,  Philadelphia,  printed  by  Andrew  Brad- 
ford, 1729";  12  mo,  V  pp.  introduction,  29  pp.  text.^^  In  this 
little  book  Weiss  refutes  ably  the  principal  heresies  of  the  New 
Born. 

The  ministry  of  Weiss  at  Philadelphia  was  rendered 
difficult  by  the  poverty  of  his  people,  who  were  unable  to  pay 
him    a    sufficient    salary.      To    secure    more    means    he     ad- 

"The  only  known  copy  of  the  original  was  discovered  by  the 
writer  in  the  Congressional  Library  at  Washington.  Its  German  text, 
together  with  an  English  translation,  is  printed  in  Penn  Germania, 
Vol.  I,  pp.  338-361. 


72  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

vertised  nine  times  in  the  "American  Weekly  Mercury", 
printed  at  Philadelphia,  beginning  with  February  lo,  1730, 
offering  to  teach  students  Logic,  Natural  Philosophy,  Meta- 
physics, etc.,  the  instruction  to  be  given  in  the  house  of  widow 
Sprogel,  in  Second  Street. 

When  Weiss  left  the  congregation  in  May,  1730,  it  was 
without  a  pastor  for  several  months  until  John  Peter  Miller 
arrived  on  August  29,  1730.  He  became  Weiss'  successor  for 
about  a  year,  till  the  fall  of  1731,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
Rev.  John  Bartholomew  Rieger.  A  letter,  written  from  Phila- 
delphia, November  22,  173 1,  shows  that  Rieger  was  pastor  of 
the  congregation  at  that  time. 

From  the  time  of  Rieger  we  have  the  first  statement  of  the 
approximate  membership  of  the  congregation.  Dr.  John 
Jacob  Diemer,  a  prominent  member  of  the  congregation,  wrote 
November  22,  1731,  to  the  Synods:  "In  trying  to  collect  the 
salary  of  our  minister  we  have  found  in  the  three  congrega- 
tions, Philadelphia,  Germantown  and  Skippack,  not  quite  two 
hundred  families,  but  we  have  not  been  able  to  raise  more  than 
thirty-eight  pounds  for  our  minister's  salary".^^ 

It  was  during  the  ministry  of  Rieger  that  the  "ReifF  Case" 
came  to  a  climax,  in  April,  1734.  As  a  result  of  this,  Rieger 
withdrew  and  went  to  Amwell,  N.  J.  Then  forty-two  mem- 
bers of  the  congregation  appealed  to  Boehm  on  April  20,  1734, 
to  help  them  in  their  unfortunate  situation.  After  repeated 
oral  and  written  requests  Boehm  went  to  Philadelphia  on  July 
15,  1734,  and  preached  a  sermon  of  admonition  to  the  congrega- 
tion. It  was  so  effective  that  the  congregation  concluded  to 
accept  the  Church  Order  drawn  up  by  Boehm  and  in  force  in 
his  other  congregations.  Four  weeks  later,  on  August  18, 
1734,  a  new  consistory  was  installed  and  an  agreement  was 
entered  into  with  the  other  congregations  that  Boehm  should 
preach  at  Philadelphia  once  a  month.  In  November,  1734,  the 
Reformed  and  Lutherans  in  Philadelphia  rented  jointly  an  old 
butcher  shop,  "in  Arch  Street,  near  the  Quaker  burying 
grounds".^*     It  was  fitted  up  with  benches  and  regular  ser- 

•'The  original  is  in  the  archives  at  The  Hague,  74,  I,  36. 
•^Thus  located  in  the  old  church  record  of  the  congregation.     The 
statement  was  made  by  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter. 


DER. 

IN    DER  AMERICANI^ 

SCHEN    WILDNUSZ 
Untcr  Mcni^hcn  von   vcrfchicdcncn 

I-'ntioncT.  und   Reli_'.:i'>;-iCn 

Hiii  und  wicder  hcrum    Wandcltc 

Vv.,\  vci  fchici-lcntlich'  '  Anf^cfoc'rcne 

PREDIGER. 

Abiv-iiK.'-ikt  unj  vor^citfi.cc 

In    eincni    Gefpraedi  mit    Eincm 

Po'itico  und 

Vcrfchit  d-enc     ^^ucS      iiifonderhcic 

Die  AV?rA|-...'  b/v,  fT'i^u'c, 
Veilertigcr, und  zbHGcfotdciung  derEhy 
J    E    S   LI 

Sclbft      aus      tig.ncr      L!»".'hrun?.     an      da» 

Licht  g^bracht 


Fon  Geoig  -Mtchiel   IVuff   V.    D.   M 


Zii  F  //  /  /.  //  V  F  LP  fi  TJ  : 
Gedruckt  bey  Audiew  Brav^oidt,  1729. 


^t*   ■^.-«.  «^.   j^*s  »-i^-vy^v-^-1- 


TIIE   BOOK  OF   WEISS  AGAINST  THE  NEWBORN,    1 729 
The  first  book  published  by  a  Reformed  Minister  in  Pennsylvania 


FOUNDER  OF  CHURCHES  73 

vices  were  held  in  it  till  1747.  Boehm  remained  pastor  of  the 
congregation  till  the  close  of  the  year  1746,  when  Rev.  Michael 
Schlatter  succeeded  him. 

On  December  21,  1746,  Boehm  installed  Schlatter  as  pas- 
tor of  the  Philadelphia  congregation  and  on  the  15th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1747,  as  pastor  of  the  Germantown  congregation. 
Boehm  agreed,  however,  to  keep  on  preaching  at  Philadelphia 
for  six  months  longer,  so  as  to  enable  Schlatter  to  continue  his 
journeys  through  the  country,  visiting  Reformed  congregations. 

OLi;Y  REFORMED  CHURCH. 

In  1736,  Boehm  added  another  congregation  to  his  exten- 
sive parish.  It  was  Oley,  in  Berks  County.  German  settlers 
from  the  State  of  New  York  had  begun  to  settle  in  the  Oley 
valley  as  early  as  1712.  The  first  Reformed  services  in  Oley 
were  held  by  Rev.  George  Michael  Weiss,  probably  in  1729. 
It  was  at  Oley  that  Weiss  came  in  contact  with  the  New  Born, 
and  his  book  against  them  was  printed  in  1729.  Sometime 
afterwards  actual  congregational  life  manifested  itself  there, 
for  on  April  13,  1734,  John  Lesher,  a  Calvinist,  conveyed  by 
deed  132  perches  of  land  to  Gabriel  Boyer  and  Casper  Griese- 
mer,  in  trust  for  the  society  of  Christian  people  inhabiting 
Oley.®^  Upon  this  lot  a  small  meeting  house  is  said  to  have 
been  built  in  1735.  In  1736,  the  congregation  came  under  the 
control  of  Boehm.  Upon  the  earnest  request  of  the  people 
Boehm  visited  Oley  on  May  4,  1736,  and  held  the  Lord's  Supper 
there,  at  which  time  thirty-nine  communicants  were  present. 
At  the  time  of  his  second  visit,  November  17,  1736,  forty  mem- 
bers took  part  in  the  communion.  It  was  at  this  time  that 
Boehm  installed  four  elders  and  two  deacons  elected  by  the 
congregation  and  himself  was  accepted  by  them  as  their  pastor 
to  visit  them  twice  a  year,  during  the  week,  to  administer  com- 
munion and  baptize  children. 

Shortly  afterwards  young  Goetschy  came  into  the  Oley 
region  and  succeeded  in  persuading  a  part  of  the  congregation 
to  adhere  to  him.  At  the  time  of  his  third  visit,  in  the  spring 
of  1737,  Boehm  found  the  congregation  in  a  state  of  con- 
fusion.    Hence  he  retired  and  left  the  field  to  Goetschy,  who 

**  See  Pennsylvania  German,  Vol.  HI,  p.  119. 


74  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

preached  at  Oley  probably  from  1737- 1739.  In  1740  Rev. 
P.  H.  Dorsius  seems  to  have  supplied  the  congregation  occa- 
sionally. On  February  5,  1740,  the  elders  and  members  at 
Oley  promised  ten  pounds  and  twenty  bushels  of  oats  towards 
a  minister's  salary.  After  that  Oley  disappears  from  view  for 
a  number  of  years.  On  September  23,  1746,  Rev.  Michael 
Schlatter  met  Frederick  Casimir  Mueller  at  Oley,  who  was 
ministering  to  "ten  or  twelve  small  congregations  in  or  about 
Oley".^^  Schlatter  offered  to  write  to  Holland  to  secure 
Mueller's  ordination,  if  he  would  agree  to  abstain  meanwhile 
from  administering  the  sacraments.  Mueller  made  the 
promise  but  broke  it  again  the  following  Sunday.  Hence 
Schlatter  lost  all  interest  in  him.  How  long  Mueller  served 
Oley  we  are  unable  to  say,  but  on  April  9,  1755,  John  Lesher 
of  Oley  appeared  before  the  Coetus  at  Lancaster  and  requested 
that  Oley  might  be  supplied  by  a  minister  of  the  Coetus.  In 
the  following  year  it  was  again  given  up,  because  they  had 
again  accepted  one  of  the  vagrant  ministers. 

PROVIDENCE    REFORMED    CHURCH. 

In  his  statistics  of  the  year  1743,  Boehm  refers  to  a  newly- 
gathered  congregation  in  Providence  township,  where  on  April 
4,  1743.  thirty-two  members  communed.  This  congregation 
is  now  represented  by  St.  Luke's  Reformed  Church  at  Trappe, 
Providence  Township,  Montgomery  County.  On  May  3,  1744, 
another  communion  service  was  held  "for  the  newly  gathered 
congregation  in  Providence,  in  a  barn".  At  this  time  63  mem- 
bers participated  in  the  communion.  In  connection  with  this 
service  Boehm  remarks  that  the  first  communion  service  in 
Providence  was  held  November  5,  1743,  when  nineteen  com- 
municants were  present.  But  as  the  communicant  list  of  1743 
makes  no  reference  to  such  a  service  on  November  5th,  and 
moreover  the  same  list  shows  that  there  was  an  earlier  service 
on  April  4th,  so  that  the  service  on  November  5th  could  not 
have  been  the  first,  it  is  natural  to  conclude  that  the  date,  No- 
vember 5,  1743,  is  due  to  a  slip  of  the  pen  for  November  5, 
1742.     The  small  number  of  communicants  also  argues   for 

"  See  Schlatter's  "Private  Diary,"  printed  in  Journal  of  Presby- 
terian Historical  Society,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  119. 


FOUNDER  OF  CHURCHES  75 

the  year  1742.  From  these  considerations  it  appears  as  fairly- 
certain  that  September  5,  1742,  ought  to  be  accepted  as  the  first 
date  in  the  history  of  the  Providence  church. 

On  October  18,  1746,  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter  preached  at 
Providence  in  a  barn,  to  a  poor  congregation.^'^  Forty-two 
men  obligated  themselves  to  raise  a  salary  of  fifteen  pounds 
annually  and  also  some  grain.  In  the  spring  of  1747,  Schlatter 
reports,  a  church  was  built  at  Providence.®^  Boehm  remained 
pastor  of  the  congregation  till  1748.  By  the  Coetus  of  1748, 
held  September  28-30,  1748,  at  Philadelphia,  Rev.  John  Philip 
Leydich  was  assigned  to  Falkner  Swamp  and  Providence.  He 
was  installed  as  pastor  of  these  congregations  by  Boehm  on 
October  16,  1748. 

boehm's  reformed  church. 

The  last  congregation  to  be  organized  by  Boehm  bears  his 
name  to  the  present  day.  It  is  Boehm's  Reformed  Church  at 
Blue  Bell,  Whitpain  Township,  Montgomery  County.  When 
Boehm  felt  that  old  age  was  coming  upon  him  and  that  he 
would  not  be  able  to  make  extended  tours  to  distant  congrega- 
tions, he  determined  to  found  a  congregation  in  the  immediate 
neighborhood  of  his  home  in  Whitpain  township. 

When  Schlatter  visited  Boehm  at  his  home  October  20, 
1746.  the  latter  made  use  of  this  opportunity  to  lay  his  plans  for 
the  future  before  Schlatter,  for  on  November  25,  1746,  Boehm 
reported  the  results  of  this  conference  to  the  Synods  of  Holland. 
Boehm  then  informed  Schlatter  that  he  would  like  to  give  up 
Falkner  Swamp  and  Philadelphia,  as  the  work  was  becoming 
too  difficult  for  him,  and  he  proposed,  in  case  Schlatter  would 
consent,  to  organize  a  new  congregation  in  Whitpain  Town- 
ship, about  midway  between  Germantown  and  Old  Goshenhop- 
pen,  about  twelve  miles  from  each  of  these  places.  To  this 
congregation  the  members  of  the  upper  Whitemarsh  and  of  the 
lower  Skippack  could  attach  themselves.  Besides,  many  people 
of  Reformed  antecedents,  but  not  attached  to  any  church,  were 

*'  See  Schlatter's  Life  and  Travels,  p.  139. 

•'  Schlatter  really  refers,  in  December,  1746,  to  the  church  at 
Providence,  which  "is  to  be  built  in  spring."  This  intention  was  no 
doubt  carried  out.    See  Journal  of  Presb.  Hist.  Soc,  Vol.  HI,  p.  165. 


76  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

living  in  his  immediate  vicinity.  Schlatter  agreed  to  this 
proposal  and  promised  to  mention  it  favorably  in  his  report  to 
Holland. 

As  a  result  Schlatter  came  to  Boehm's  home  on  February 
3)  1747.  to  organize  the  new  congregation.  As  it  was  a  cold 
day  but  few  members  were  present.  Nevertheless,  they  pro- 
ceeded with  the  organization  of  the  congregation.  Three 
elders  were  elected  and  signatures  for  the  pastor's  salary  were 
secured.  They  amounted  to  only  six  pounds  and  three  shil- 
lings. Schlatter  declared  the  amount  too  small  and  refused 
at  first  to  proceed  with  the  organization.  Then  a  character- 
istic incident  occurred,  fortunately  preserved  to  us  by  Boehm 
himself:  "I  pitied  (he  says)  the  souls  who  were  sad  about  this 
[refusal  of  Schlatter],  for  although  they  were  few,  yet  they 
were  dear  and  eager  for  salvation.  I  asked  him  [Schlatter] 
to  report  them,  and  I  offered  to  serve  them  for  fifteen  pounds 
[annually].  Then  his  Reverence  continued  and  organized  the 
congregation  fully.  I  pledged  myself  to  conduct  divine  ser- 
vices for  them  regularly  every  two  weeks,  which  I  do  heartily, 
and,  if  I  am  at  home  and  have  no  other  religious  services  else- 
where, I  preach  for  them  every  Sunday".  Schlatter  reports  in 
his  diary,  that  by  February,  1747,  they  had  built  a  small  stone 
church.®^  On  February  18,  1747,  John  Lewis  of  the  township 
of  Whitpain,  yeoman,  sold  to  the  Rev.  John  Philip  Boehm, 
minister,  Michael  Clime,  Arnold  Ruttersham  and  Andrew 
Acker,  churchwardens,  a  parcel  of  land  containing  one  acre, 
for  and  in  consideration  of  the  sum  of  four  pounds  ten  shil- 
lings. The  deed  recites  that  this  land  was  sold  "in  trust 
nevertheless  for  the  use  of  ye  said  congregation  of  the  High 
Dutch  Reformed  Church,  formed  by  the  Christian  Synod  held 
at  Dortrecht  in  Holland  in  the  years  1618  and  1619  (so  that 
the  said  congregation  shall  hold,  follow  and  adhere  to  the 
principles  of  the  Heidelberg  Catechism  and  in  subordination  to 
the  Reverend  Classis  at  Amsterdam  and  for  no  other  use,  in- 
tent or  purpose  whatsoever,  and  further  that  the  Tested 
Church  Wardens  of  the  said  congregation  from  time  to  time 
for  ever  after  shall  be  careful  to  uphold  and  maintain  the  above 
recited  principles  and  that  no  church  wardens  shall  have  power 

*•  See  Schlatter's  Life  and  Travels,  p.  150. 


FOUNDER  OF  CHURCHES  77 

to  alter  or  make  void  anything  that  has  been  done  or  established 
before  them  or  this  present  year,  1748,  to  the  only  proper  use 
and  behoof  of  the  said  congregation,  their  heirs  and  successors 
for  ever".     The  deed  was  recorded  Alay  10,  1748. 

There  were  two  other  congregations  in  which  Boehm  was 
interested,  although  they  never  appear  in  his  letters. 

EGYPT  REFORMED   CHURCH. 

The  first  of  these  was  Egypt  in  Lehigh  County.  On  page 
15  of  the  old  church  record  of  the  Eg}'pt  Church  is  the  follow- 
ing entry:  "On  July  27,  1734,  a  son  was  born  to  Peter  Traxel 
and  was  baptized  by  Rev.  Air.  Boehm  on  September  2^,  1734. 
Witnesses :  Nicolaus  Kern  and  his  wife  Alaria  Margaretha. 
Name  of  the  child :  David".  This  baptism  implies  most 
likely  a  visit  of  Boehm  to  Eg}'pt,  and  if  so,  it  was  no  doubt  to 
preach  there.  Another  child  of  Peter  Traxel  was  baptized 
October  26,  1736,  by  John  Henry  Goetschy.  In  connection  with 
that  entry  Peter  Traxel  is  called  "Censor  of  the  Reformed  con- 
gregation here".  There  is,  therefore,  no  doubt  that  there  was 
a  Reformed  congregation  at  Eg>^pt  in  1736,  when  Goetschy 
visited  it  to  baptize  a  child.  His  baptism  implies  that  he  was 
pastor  in  Egypt  in  1736.  On  the  title  page  of  the  New  Goshen- 
hoppen  record,  written  by  Goetschy  about  1736,  Eg>'pt  is  dis- 
tinctly mentioned  as  one  of  his  congregations.  If  the  baptism 
of  Goetschy  in  1736  implies  his  pastorate  at  that  time,  it  makes 
it  highly  probable  that  the  same  inference  must  be  made  from 
Boehm's  baptism  in  1734.  We  may  therefore  suppose  that 
the  Reformed  people  at  Egypt  gave  Boehm  an  invitation  to 
visit  them,  with  which  he  complied  on  September  23,  1734. 

Boehm  was  succeeded  by  Goetschy.  The  title  page  of  the 
Eg\'pt  record  is  dated  by  Goetschy  March  22,  1739,  and  a  later 
baptism  was  performed  by  him  on  June  27,  1739.  Hence 
Goetschy 's  ministry  at  Egypt  extended  from  1736- 1739.  On 
September  23,  1740,  Rev.  Peter  Henry  Dorsius  (called  Inspec- 
tor Torschius  in  the  record)  baptized  three  children  of  the 
Eg}pt  congregation  at  Saucon."" 

Another  visit  of  Boehm  at  Egypt  was  made  July  28.  1741. 

^°'  See  Pennsylvania  Archives,  Sixth  Series,  Vol.  VI,  p.  6,  where 
the  Egypt  record  is  printed  in  full,  Vol.  VI,  pp.  5-13. 


78  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

when  he  baptized  five  children  according  to  the  record.  In 
September,  1742,  John  Conrad  Wirtz  (Wuertz)  began  preach- 
ing at  Egypt.  His  baptisms  extend  from  September  17,  1742, 
to  November  15,  1743."^  After  the  latter  date  the  congrega- 
tion was  vacant.  In  June  1747,  Michael  Schlatter  visited 
Egypt  and  neighboring  congregations.  He  writes  in  his  diary : 
"From  Wednesday  to  Saturday,  the  24th,  25th,  and  26th  [of 
June]  I  visited  the  congregations  in  Manatawny,  Magunschy, 
Egypt,  and  at  the  Eehigh,  a  circuit  of  forty-five  miles,  and 
came  near  to  Bethlehem,  a  meeting  place  of  the  Moravians". 
Schlatter  proposed  to  organize  Heidelberg,  Egypt  and  Jordan 
into  a  charge,  and  he  reports  that  they  had  promised  to  con- 
tribute forty-two  pounds,  or  280  Dutch  guilders,  for  the  sup- 
port of  a  minister.  At  the  first  meeting  of  the  Coetus,  in  Sep- 
tember, 1747,  Egypt  was  represented  by  its  elder,  Abraham 
Wotring.  On  November  8,  1748,  Schlatter  received  a  call  for 
a  minister  from  Egypt  and  Heidelberg.  A  copy  of  this  docu- 
ment was  sent  to  Holland  by  Schlatter."^  It  is  dated  Novem- 
ber 5,  1748,  and  is  signed  by  Daniel  Burger,  Ulrich  Musslie, 
Abraham  Wotring,  Jacob  Kohler,  Michel  Hofifmann.  John  Nic. 
Schneider,  John  Weber  and  John  Drachsel.  On  March  29. 
1749,^°^  Schlatter  received  letters  from  Macungy  and  Egypt 
asking  him  to  administer  the  Lord's  Supper  for  them.  Upon 
Schlatter's  request  Boehm  undertook  to  visit  them.  The  visit 
was  made  on  April  28,  1749,  when  Boehm  administered  the 

""  It  has  been  supposed  that  the  entries  of  Wirtz  extended  to  De- 
cember 21,  1744  (see  C.  R.  Roberts,  History  of  the  Egypt  Church. 
Allentown,  1908,  p.  10),  but  a  careful  examination  of  the  record  by  the 
writer  shows  that  the  two  entries  of  1744  were  made  by  the  same  hand, 
which  entered  the  earliest  baptism  in  1734.  It  was  not  Boehm.  The 
handwriting  is  certainly  not  his.  It  was  probably  Mr.  Traxel  himself. 
It  is  the  same  hand  that  entered  the  baptism  of  Mr.  Dorsius,  performed 
in  1740,  and  the  baptisms  of  Mr.  Boehm  in  1741.  None  of  these  were 
made  by  the  pastors  themselves.  The  Egypt  record  was  probably  bought 
and  given  to  the  congregation  by  young  Goetschy.  The  Great  Swamp 
record  and  the  Berne  record,  begun  by  Goetschy,  have  the  same  shape 
and  make  as  the  Egypt  record. 

""  Now  in  the  archives  at  The  Hague,  74,  I,  51. 

■"  By  an  oversight  Dr.  Harbaugh,  in  his  Life  of  Schlatter,  p.  188. 
omitted  the  month.  It  was  not  January  20th,  but  March  29th,  1749, 
as  a  comparison  with  the  German  edition  in  Fresenius,  Pastoral  Samm- 
lungen,  Frankfort,  1752.  p.  298,  shows. 


FOUNDER  OF  CHURCHES  79 

communion.     It  was  the  last  public  service  at  which  Boehm 
officiated  before  his  death. 

COVENTRY    REFORMED    CHURCH. 

There  is  still  another  congregation  of  which  Boehm  was 
pastor,  although  he  never  refers  to  that  fact  in  his  letters,  nor 
has  any  historian  ever  mentioned  it.  From  the  diaries  of 
several  Moravian  missionaries  it  appears  that  Boehm  was 
elected  pastor  of  the  Reformed  church  in  Coventry  township, 
Chester  County,  in  1746. 

The  Coventry  congregation  (now  Brownback's  in  Chester 
County)  called  Jacob  Lischy  as  its  first  pastor  April  10,  1743. 
He  drew  up  a  constitution  which  was  signed  by  thirty-six  mem- 
bers on  May  19,  1743.  Lischy  served  the  congregation  till 
1745,  when  other  Moravian  missionaries,  laboring  under  the 
union  movement  of  Zinzendorf,  took  his  place.  But  their 
work  at  Coventry  was  not  without  opposition.  In  December, 
1744,  Jacob  Lischy  reported  to  Spangenberg :  "Mr.  Boehm 
also  began  to  slander  me  and  turned  the  congregation  at  the 
Schuylkill  against  me.  He  brought  it  so  far  that  they  opened 
the  church  for  him,  but  closed  it  against  me.  I  noted  the  time 
when  he  had  appointed  a  sermon  there.  I  then  appeared  with 
about  ten  elders  from  Conestoga.  When  he  heard  this  he  rode 
to  the  justice  of  the  peace,  upon  whose  land  the  church  was 
located,  and  secured  his  written  permission  to  preach  in  the 
church.  But  I  was  not  frightened  by  that.  I  listened  to  his 
sermon,  and,  when  he  had  pronounced  the  benediction,  I 
stepped  up  before  him  and  asked  him  whether  he  could  prove 
his  printed  lies  and  slanders  against  me.  He  was  confused 
and  unable  to  do  so,  and  thus  was  put  to  shame  before  the 
whole  congregation".^"*  It  may  well  be  doubted  whether 
Lischy  reported  the  exact  facts  about  this  incident.  There  was 
nothing  in  what  Boehm  had  written  about  Lischy  but  what 
could  be  fully  substantiated.  But  as  a  result  of  this  incident 
Lischy  claims  that  Boehm  withdrew.  This  is  borne  out  by  the 
diaries  of  Lischy  and  Ranch  for  the  year  1745,  which  report  re- 

'**  See  Report  of  Lischy  to  Spangenberg,  dated  December  8.  1744. 
It  was  published  by  the  writer  in  the  Reformed  Church  Review,  Fourth 
Series,  Vol.  IX,  (1905),  pp.  517-534,  especially  p.  52&f. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

boehm's  opposition   to    the  union    movement    of   count 

zinzendorf. 

The  year  1742  was  made  memorable  in  the  ecclesiastical 
history  of  the  Germans  in  Pennsylvania  by  the  arrival  and  con- 
sequent activity  of  Count  Zinzendorf.  The  object  of  his 
coming  was  to  rally  all  the  Germans  in  the  Province  around 
their  common  belief  in  Jesus  Christ  as  their  personal  Saviour. 
and  to  unite  them  into  a  kind  of  federated  church,  in  which 
each  group,  without  giving  up  its  peculiar  denominational  dif- 
ferences, might  learn  to  live  and  labor  together  in  a  higher 
unity  of  the  spirit.  The  movement  was  therefore  called  by 
him  "The  Congregation  of  God  in  the  Spirit".  It  was  no 
doubt  a  beautiful  ideal,  but,  as  experience  proved,  incapable  of 
realization.  Moreover,  it  should  not  be  overlooked,  in  estimat- 
ing the  nature  of  the  opposition,  that  the  Germans  were  not 
properly  prepared  to  receive  the  movement  favorably.  There 
was  no  authoritative  explanation  on  the  part  of  Zinzendorf  as 
to  what  the  movement  meant.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Ger- 
mans had  been  warned  beforehand  that  the  coming  of  Zin- 
zendorf boded  no  good  for  their  churches.  It  was  there- 
fore natural  that  they  should  look  upon  it  as  an  attempt  of 
proselyting   for   the   Moravian    Church.""'     If   the   Moravian 

'*"  Two  statements  of  men  not  hostile  to  the  movement  may  be 
quoted  to  illustrate  the  popular  feeling.  On  February  16,  1747,  Conrad 
Weiser  wrote  to  Rev.  Mr.  Brunnholtz,  of  Philadelphia:  "The  Count 
gave  himself  out  to  be  a  Lutheran  minister  at  the  first  conference.  He 
was  the  director  and  originator  of  these  conferences,  which  cannot  be 
denied  by  any  honest  person  who  was  present.  What  were  his  inten- 
tions did  not  become  evident  at  that  time,  except  what  was  stated  in 
the  invitation  issued  by  Henry  Antes.  But  a  brother  and  delegate  from 
Ephrata  told  me  in  confidence  that  the  Count  had  a  large  sack,  into 
which  he  wanted  to  put  all  sects  and  separatists  and  then  govern  him- 
self alone."  John  Adam  Gruber,  of  Germantown,  makes  the  following 
report:  "One  of  their  workers  said  without  reserve  to  a  friend  one 
of  these  days:    People  should  just  wait,  their  aim  was  to  overthrow 


COUNT    NICHOIvAS    LUDWIG    VON  ZINZENDORF 


UNIOX   MOVEMENT  83 

leaders  were  sincere  in  their  purpose  of  rendering  a  real 
spiritual  service  to  the  sheperdless  German  congregations,  the 
opposition  of  the  Germans  was  no  less  sincere,  because  they 
honestly  believed  it  to  be  destructive  of  their  denominational 
existence. 

In  order  to  appreciate  the  magnitude  of  the  undertaking, 
we  shall  take  a  survey  of  the  German  population  of  Pennsyl- 
vania about  the  year  1740. 

There  were  first  of  all  the  "church  people",  comprising 
tlie  Lutherans  and  the  Reformed.  According  to  a  careful 
count  the  number  of  Reformed  congregations  in  Pennsylvania 
in  1740  was  at  least  twenty-six.  Estimating  each  congrega- 
tion as  consisting  of  about  one  hundred  communicant  members 
(which  is  quite  liberal),  the  total  number  of  Reformed  com- 
municants for  1740  would  be  about  2600.  The  baptized  mem- 
bership was  about  three  times  as  numerous,  or  7800,  in  round 
figures  8000.  Those  who  were  Reformed  by  descent  and 
training,  but  had  not  connected  themselves  with  any  church, 
were  probably  as  many  again.  We  are  thus  brought  to  a 
total  of  16,000  Reformed  people  for  the  year  1740.  This  is 
about  half  of  what  Schlatter  reports  for  1750,  when  he  esti- 
mated the  Reformed  membership  as  about  30,000. 

The  Lutheran  congregations  in  1740  were  approximately 
just  as  numerous  as  the  Reformed.  A  map  of  Pennsylvania, 
published  at  the  Sesquicentennial  of  the  Lutheran  Ministerium 
of  Pennsylvania  in  1898,  enumerates  and  locates  27  Lutheran 
congregations,  as  having  been  founded  in  Pennsylvania  before 
the  year  1740.  The  total  number  of  Lutheran  church  mem- 
bers in  1740  was  probably  about  the  same  as  that  of  the  Re- 
formed people.     Taking  a  round  number  of  15,000  for  each 

all  sects,  one  the  Reformed  from  which  he  came,  the  other  the  Lu- 
theran, etc.  Bro.  Ludwig  fZinzendorf]  preached  publicly  that  he 
wanted  to  re-establish  the  old  Lutheran  church,  and  he  spoke  of  him- 
self and  his  Lutherans:  'We  Evangelicals,'  which  appeared  very  strange 
to  other  people  who  were  present  and  heard  it."  See  Heinrich  Melchior 
Muehlenberg^  Selbstbiographie,  p.  231  f ;  Fresenius,  Bewaehrte  Nach- 
richten,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  188.  Christopher  Saur  writes  from  Germantown, 
November  16,  1742:  "It  is  well  known  that  the  Count  brought  about 
a  convention  of  all  parties.  It  was,  without  doubt,  his  intention  to 
make  one  party,  namely  his  own,  out  of  them."  See  Fresenius,  1.  c, 
p.  788f. 


84  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

denomination,  we  have  a  grand  total  of  30,000  "church  people" 
in  Pennsylvania  in  1740. 

GERMAN    SECTS    IN    PENNSYLVANIA. 

The  German  "sect  people"  may  be  roughly  estimated  as 
about  10,000.  By  "sects"  the  early  Germans  meant  those  who 
did  not  belong  to  the  two  legally  recognized  branches  of  the 
Protestant  Church  in  Germany,  the  Lutheran  and  the  Re- 
formed. 

The  earliest  of  these  "sects"  to  come  to  Pennsylvania  were 
the  Mennonites.  Their  first  colony  was  brought  over  under 
the  auspices  of  Francis  Daniel  Pastorius.  They  came  with  the 
ship  "Concord",  which  landed  at  Philadelphia,  after  a  long  but 
safe  voyage,  on  October  6,  1683.  They  settled  Germantown, 
now  a  part  of  Philadelphia.  From  Germantown  they  spread 
to  Skippack,  which  was  founded  by  them  in  1702.  A  second 
Mennonite  immigration  took  place  in  1710.  These  were 
Swiss  Mennonites,  who  in  1712  purchased  10,000  acres  of  land 
along  the  Pequea  creek  in  Conestoga  township,  Lancaster 
County.  Large  accessions  to  this  colony  arrived  in  171 7  and 
1719.  Jonathan  Dickinson  remarked  in  1719:  "We  are  daily 
expecting  ships  from  London  which  bring  over  Palatines,  in 
number  about  six  or  seven  thousand.  We  have  a  parcel  who 
came  out  about  five  years  ago,  who  purchased  land  about  sixty 
miles  west  of  Philadelphia  and  prove  quiet  and  industrious". 
In  1742  there  were  about  six  thousand  Mennonites  in  the  pro- 
vince."^ 

In  their  doctrines  the  Mennonites  resembled  the  Quakers. 
Their  founder  had  been  Menno  Simons,  from  Friesland,  born  in 
1492,  died  in  1557.  They  refused  the  oath  and  military  service. 
They  preached  the  separation  of  church  and  state  and  freedom 
of  conscience.  They  practised  adult  baptism  only  and  insisted 
on  simplicity  of  dress  as  well  as  of  life  in  general. 

Another  sect  which  sought  refuge  in  Pennsylvania  were 
the  Dunkers.  Their  founder  was  Alexander  Mack,  who  organ- 
ized the  first  Dunker  congregation  in   1708  at  Schwarzenau, 

'°*This  figure  is  given  in  a  letter  of  C.  Saur,  the  well-known 
German  printer,  of  Germantown,  dated  November  IG,  1742,  printed  in 
Fresenius,  Bewaehrte  Nachricten,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  790. 


UNION  MOVEMENT  85 

Westphalia.  As  their  name  indicates  they  insisted  on  (trine) 
immersion.  Like  the  Mennonites  they  rejected  infant  baptism. 
They  refused  to  take  the  oath,  engage  in  mihtary  service,  hold 
public  offices  and  settle  their  quarrels  by  lawsuits.  They  were 
believers  in  the  simple  life.  The  first  colony  of  twenty  Dunk- 
ers,  under  their  leader  Peter  Becker,  arrived  in  Philadelphia  in 
1719.  Others  followed  soon  afterwards.  Their  main  settle- 
ments were  at  Germantown,  Coventry,  Falkner  Swamp  and 
Conestoga.  The  organization  of  these  Dunkers  into  regular 
congregations  in  1723  and  1724,  undoubtedly  influenced  the  Re- 
formed people  in  1725  to  follow  their  example.  One  of  the 
most  influential  Dunkers  was  Christopher  Saur,  a  printer,  liv- 
ing in  Germantown,  who  since  1739  issued  a  German  news- 
paper which  was  read  very  widely. 

In  1728,  Conrad  Beissel,  who  had  been  selected  as  one  of 
the  leaders  of  the  Conestoga  Dunkers,  separated  from  the 
parent  body,  because  he  had  become  convinced  that  Saturday 
was  the  proper  day  to  be  observed  as  the  Christian  Sabbath. 
His  followers  were  called  Seventh  Day  Dunkers,  or  Sabba- 
tarians. In  1735,  they  founded  Ephrata  on  the  Cocalico.  It 
was  a  cloister  in  which  communism  and  a  celibate  life  were 
practised.  About  1745,  a  press  was  installed  at  Ephrata,  from 
which  a  host  of  mystical  books  were  issued.  Music  was  also 
cultivated.  Their  life  was  austere  and  ascetic,  with  obedience 
as  the  chief  duty  of  the  inmates.  Men  and  women  lived  in 
separate  buildings,  some  of  which  are  still  standing.  The 
members  were  distinguished  by  a  special  monastic  dress,  the 
men  had  even  adopted  the  tonsure. 

Another  religious  body  which  sought  shelter  from  per- 
secution in  Pennsylvania  were  the  Schwenkfelders.  They  had 
been  founded  by  a  contemporary  of  Luther,  Casper  Schwenk- 
feld.  Zinzendorf  gave  them  temporary  shelter  on  his  lands  in 
Saxony.  In  May,  1734,  forty  families,  numbering  one  hundred 
and  eighty  souls,  emigrated  to  Pennsylvania,  under  the  leader- 
ship of  a  Moravian,  George  Boehnisch.  They  reached  Phila- 
delphia September  12,  1734,  in  the  ship  St.  Andrew,  John 
Stedman,  captain.  They  settled  along  the  Skippack  and  Per- 
kiomen  rivers,  chiefly  near  Goshenhoppen,  in  Montgomery 
County.  Their  first  minister  was  George  Weiss,  who  died  in 
1740.     One    of   their   prominent   members     was    Christopher 


8t)  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

Wiegner,  who  settled  near  Skippack/°^ 

Besides  these  four  main  bodies  of  the  "sect  people",  which 
had  regular,  congregational  organizations,  there  were  other 
smaller  groups,  which  settled  in  Pennsylvania  in  scattered  com- 
munities.^°® 

Among  these  smaller  groups  the  "Hermits  of  the  Wissa- 
hickon"  were  the  earliest  to  come  to  Pennsylvania.  Their  first 
colony,  consisting  of  forty  men,  reached  Philadelphia  in  1694. 
The  main  leaders  were  John  Kelpius,  Bernhard  Koester,  John 
Seelig  and  Daniel  Falkner.  They  were  mystics  who  engaged 
in  all  kinds  of  theosophical  speculations.  In  1742,  Rev.  H.  M. 
Muehlenberg,  the  patriarch  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  met  one 
of  them,  "Herr  Selig",  living  in  the  vicinity  of  Roxborough, 
"after  the  manner  of  an  anchorite,  instructing  children".  After 
the  death  of  Kelpius  in  1708,  Conrad  Matthai  acted  as  the  last 
leader  of  the  Hermits  on  the  Ridge  till  his  death  in  1748. 

Another  of  these  smaller  "sects"  were  the  "Newborn", 
with  whom  both  Weiss  and  Boehm  among  the  Reformed  lead- 
ers came  in  contact.  They  were  founded  about  17 18  at  Oley, 
Berks  County,  by  Matthias  Baumann,  who  had  come  from 
Lambsheim  in  the  Palatinate,  where  he  had  been  awakened  in 
1 701.  They  believed  in  the  new  birth,  which  involved,  ac- 
cording to  their  teaching,  an  inner  illumination  of  the  spirit,  by 
which  both  the  Scriptures,  as  well  as  the  sacraments,  were 
made  superfluous.  It  also  implied  sinlessness,  which  made  the 
ministry  and  teaching  useless.  After  Baumann's  death  in 
1727,  Martin  Schenkel  continued  as  leader  of  the  sect.  Henry 
Antes  came  in  contact  with  them  when  he  began  preaching 
at  Oley  in  1736.  Bishop  Spangenberg  is  reported  to  have 
argued  with  them  and  silenced  them.  After  that  they  dis- 
appear. 

Another  even  smaller  group  called  themselves  the 
"Inspired".     They  believed,  like  the  Newborn,  in  the  "inner 

""  See  H.  W.  Kriebel,  The  Schii-cnkf elders  in  Pennsyizania,  Lan- 
caster, 1904. 

"'For  the  German  sects  in  Pennsylvania,  see  also  Rcichel,  Early 
History  of  the  Church  of  the  United  Brethren,  commonly  called  Mo- 
ravian. Nazareth,  1888,  pp.  35-53;  and  especially  Prof.  Albert  B.  Faust, 
The  German  Element  in  the  United  States,  New  York,  1909,  Vol.  I, 
pp.  111-148. 


UNION   MOVEMENT  87 

light".  They  had  spread  in  western  Germany  between  1710 
1720,  when  Eberhard  Ludwig  Gruber  and  John  Frederick 
Rock  joined  them  in  the  Wetterau  district  and  became  their 
principal  leaders.  A  son  of  the  former,  John  Adam  Gruber, 
came  to  Pennsylvania.  He  settled  in  Germantown,  where  he 
exerted  considerable  influence.  His  "Extensive  Report", 
covering  the  religious  conditions  in  Pennsylvania  between  1732- 
1742,  published  in  Germany,  in  Fresenius,  "Bewahrte  Nach- 
richten  von  Herrnhutischen  Sachen"  Vol.  HI,  is  an  important 
historical  document,  because  it  contains  the  testimony  of  an 
eye-witness. 

Another  group,  scattered  through  various  settlements, 
called  themselves  the  "Separatists".  They  were  persons  who 
had  formerly  been  Reformed,  Lutherans  or  Mennonites,  but 
now  had  withdrawn  from  all  religious  associations,  either  be- 
cause they  regarded  "the  reHgions"  as  too  worldly  and  filled 
with  sinners,  with  whom  they  did  not  care  to  associate,  or  be- 
cause they  had  become  indiflFerent  to  all  religion.  John  Eck- 
stein and  John  G.  Stiefel  are  called  "Separatists"  in  con- 
temporaneous documents. 

The  last  religious  body  of  Germans  to  settle  in  Pennsyl- 
vania before  1742  were  the  Moravians.  The  name  (against 
which  they  themselves  have  always  protested)  implied  that  the 
last  survivors  of  the  Moravian  and  Bohemian  Hussites  united 
with  the  Renewed  Church  of  the  Brethren  (or  Unitas  Frat- 
rum),  when  it  was  organized  in  1727  at  Herrnhut,  the  domain 
of  Zinzendorf  in  Saxony.  Zinzendorf  himself  was  the  leader 
in  the  new  movement.  In  1735,  one  of  the  Moravian  refugees 
David  Nitschmann,  secured  Episcopal  ordination  from  the  two 
last  remaining  bishops  of  the  ancient  church  of  the  (Hussite) 
Brethren,  Daniel  Jablonski,  court  preacher  of  the  king  of 
Prussia,  and  Christian  Sitkovius  of  Lissa,  who  was  at  the  same 
time  superintendent  of  the  Reformed  congregations  of  Poland. 
In  1737,  Zinzendorf  himself  was  consecrated  bishop  by  Jab- 
lonski and  Nitschmann,  after  he  had  received  ordination  as  a 
Lutheran  minister  in  December,  1734,  at  Tuebingen. 

As  the  Saxon  government  was  hostile  to  the  new  move- 
ment, ordering  the  Schwenkfelders  to  leave  Herrnhut  in  1733, 
and  decreeing  banishment  from  Saxony  on  the  Count  in  1736, 
it  seemed  well  to  look  for  another  place  of  refuge.     As  a  result 


88  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

land  was  secured  in  Holland  and  in  America.  In  1734.  Rev. 
Augustus  G.  Spangenberg  secured  from  Governor  Oglethorpe 
of  Georgia  a  tract  of  550  acres,  on  the  site  of  the  present  city 
of  Savannah.  A  company  of  nine  men,  led  by  Spangenberg, 
arrived  in  Georgia  in  April,  1735.  Twenty  additional  colonists, 
under  Bishop  David  Nitschmann,  came  in  the  following  year. 
But  when  they  were  called  to  arms  during  the  war  with  Spain, 
they  left  Georgia  in  1738  and  1739.  The  last  party  traveled 
in  Whitefield's  company  to  Pennsylvania,  where  they  arrived 
in  April,  1740.  There  they  settled  on  500  acres,  which  Bishop 
Nitschmann  bought  from  Wm.  Allen  of  Philadelphia,  at  the 
confluence  of  the  Manakasy  Creek  and  the  Lehigh  River,  and, 
on  December  25,  1741,  the  new  settlement  was  named  Bethle- 
hem. Shortly  afterwards  another  tract  of  5000  acres,  now 
part  of  Upper  Nazareth  township,  was  purchased  from  Mr, 
Whitefield.  Bethlehem  soon  became  the  center  of  an  extensive 
missionary  activity.^"® 

Such  were  the  religious  forces  among  the  Germans  in 
Pennsylvania  when  Count  Zinzendorf  arrived  in  December, 
1 741.  The  common  opinion  that  they  were  without  any  re- 
ligious services  is  entirely  wrong.  Considering  the  Reformed 
people  alone,  we  have  seen  in  previous  chapters  that  from 
1720-1740  they  were  served  by  at  least  five  ordained  ministers. 
Boehm  especially  had  done  a  most  valuable  and  successful 
pioneer  work.  His  field  covered  virtually  the  whole  district 
from  Philadelphia  to  the  Blue  Mountains  and  from  the  Sus- 
quehanna to  the  Delaware.  Besides  him  a  number  of  other, 
regularly  ordained  pastors  ministered  to  the  Reformed  people. 
Rev.  George  Michael  Weiss  had  preached  in  Pennsylvania 
from  1727-1730,  Rev.  John  Peter  Miller,  from  1730-1734,  Rev. 
John  Bartholomew  Rieger,  from  1 731-1734  and  from  1739- 
1743,  Rev.  Peter  Henry  Dorsius,  from  1737-1743.  Moreover 
numerous  laymen  had  done  their  best  to  supply  the  spiritual 
needs  of  the  people,  like  John  Conrad  Tempelman  in  the  Cones- 
toga  valley,  John  Jacob  Hock  at  Lancaster,  John  Bechtel  at 
Germantown,  John  Henry  Goetschy  throughout  the  present 
Montgomery,  Berks  and  Lehigh  counties,  William  Straub  in 

"•  See  the  elaborate  and  thorough  History  of  Bethlehem,  Penn- 
sylvania, J741-1892,  by  Bishop  J.  M.  Levering,  Bethlehem,  1903. 


UNION   MOVEMENT  89 

Skippack  and  Indian  Creek,  and  John  Conrad  Wirtz  in  Egypt 
and  Saucon.  In  many  of  the  congregations  there  were  also 
lay  readers  and  schoolmasters,  who  read  sermons  whenever 
the  regular  preachers  were  absent.  But  in  spite  of  all  these 
agencies  the  situation  left  much  to  be  desired,  nor  was  there 
any  co-operation  among  the  various  leaders,  but  partly  even 
suspicion  and  antagonism.  Indeed  the  unchurched  elements 
were  constantly  increasing,  so  that  Rev.  A.  G.  Spangenberg 
could  write  from  his  personal  observation:  "Many  thousands 
of  these  people  care  so  little  about  religion,  that  it  has  become 
proverbial  to  say  of  a  man  who  does  not  concern  himself  about 
God  and  His  Word :   He  has  the  Pennsylvania  religion".^" 

VISIT    OF    ZINZENDORF    TO    PENNSYLVANIA. 

There  were  two  preliminary  events  which  led  up  to  the 
coming  of  Zinzendorf  in  1741.  The  first  was  the  sojourn  of 
Rev.  A.  G.  Spangenberg  in  Pennsylvania  from  1736- 1739. 
His  object  was  to  visit  the  Schwenkfelders  and  to  become 
acquainted  with  the  condition  of  the  Germans  and  the  Indians 
in  the  province.  In  his  reports  which  he  sent  to  Herrnhut 
he  emphasized  the  spiritual  destitution  of  the  Germans  and  the 
need  of  the  Indians.  As  a  result  Christian  Henry  Rauch  was 
sent  in  1740  to  begin  missionary  work  among  the  Indians  in 
the  State  of  New  York.  Through  the  same  letters  of  Span- 
genberg, Zinzendorf  first  felt  the  call  to  minister  to  the  desti- 
tute Germans  in  Pennsylvania.^" 

A  second  cause  was  the  visit  of  George  Whitefield,  the 
great  Calvinistic  Methodist  preacher,  in  Pennsylvania  in  1740. 
Seeing  the  religious  destitution  of  the  Germans  and  being  un- 
able to  preach  to  them  in  their  own  language,  he  wrote  to 
Zinzendorf,  requesting  him  to  send  missionaries  to  the  Ger- 
mans. In  answer  to  this  request  Andrew  Eschenbach  was 
sent  in  1740  to  continue  the  work  of  Spangenberg,  who  had 
returned  to  Europe.     Eschenbach  arrived  in  October,  1740,  and 

"°  See  Lebcn  des  Herrn  Nicolaus  Ludwig  Graf  en  und  Herrn  von 
Zinzendorf,  beschrieben  von  August  Gottlieb  Spangenberg,  [1774],  p. 
1380. 

'"See  J.  Th.  Hamilton,  History  of  the  Moravian  Church  (Ameri- 
can Church  History  Series,  Vol.  VIII),  p.  445;  Reichel,  Early  History, 
p.  92. 


90  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

immediately  went  to  Oley  to  preach  to  the  Germans  in  that 
neighborhood. 

The  purpose  of  Zinzendorf's  coming  to  Pennsylvania  is 
set  forth  by  him  in  an  address  which  he  dehvered  in  August, 
1741,  at  Herrendyk  in  Holland.  In  it  he  said:  "I  have  been 
destined  by  God  to  preach  the  word  of  the  blood  and  death  of 
Jesus,  not  with  over-refinement,  but  with  the  power  of  God, 
without  regard  to  what  will  happen  to  me.  This  has  been 
my  mission  before  I  knew  the  Brethren.  I  am  and  shall  in- 
deed remain  connected  with  the  Brethren,  who  have  taken  up 
in  their  heart  our  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  and  have  called  me 
and  other  brethren  to  the  service  of  the  Congregation,  but  I 
shall  not  thereby  separate  myself  from  the  Lutheran  Church, 
for  a  witness  of  Christ  can  live  and  stay  in  this  religion. 
Nevertheless,  I  cannot  restrict  myself  in  my  witness  to  one  re- 
ligion, for  the  whole  earth  is  the  Lord's  and  all  souls  are  his, 
and  I  am  a  debtor  to  all.""^ 

On  November  29,  1741,  (o.  st.)  Count  Zinzendorf,  his 
daughter,  Countess  Benigna,  a  young  girl  of  seventeen  years, 
and  five  companions  arrived  in  Philadelphia,  where  a  house  had 
been  rented  for  them  on  Second,  near  the  corner  of  Race  Street. 
His  arrival  excited  considerable  interest.  In  a  few  days  Gov- 
ernor Thomas  sent  him  a  letter  of  welcome,  in  which  he  ex- 
pressed his  satisfaction  with  his  plan  of  preaching  to  the  Ger- 
mans in  the  province.  After  a  short  stay  in  Philadelphia,  Zin- 
zendorf went  to  Germantown  on  December  7th.  "On  the 
following  morning  he  visited  in  passing  several  friends,  es- 
pecially John  Bechtel.  He  told  him  that  he  would  like  to  see 
his  workshop.  Bechtel,  being  by  trade  a  wood-turner,  did  not 
know  at  first  that  Zinzendorf  meant  his  church,  in  which  he 
had  preached  for  many  years.  Finally,  when  he  understood 
him,  he  took  him  in.  Zinzendorf  asked  him  how  many  people 
could  be  accommodated  in  this  newly  built  church.  He  an- 
swered: "About  a  thousand".  Then  Zinzendorf  replied  that 
he  could  see  he  would  have  much  to  do  on  his  return.  But, 
although  he  preached  there  frequently,  there  were  never  that 
many  people  in  it.    He  had  also  sent  word  to  Bechtel  twice  from 

"'  See  Reichel,  Early  History,  p.  93f. 


UNION   MOVEMENT  91 

Philadelphia  that  he  would  like  to  become  his  chaplain".^^^ 

On  December  8th,  Zinzendorf  and  his  party  started  out  for 
Christopher  Wiegner's  home  in  Skippack,  and  from  there,  on 
the  following  day,  he  went  to  Falkner  Swamp,  where  he  visited 
Henry  Antes,  who  had  been  recommended  to  him  very  highly 
by  Spangenberg.  Antes  accompanied  the  party  to  the  Forks 
of  the  Delaware.  On  the  way,  according  to  the  testimony  of 
John  Gruber,"*  Zinzendorf  discussed  with  Antes  the  advisa- 
bility of  calling  a  conference  of  all  German  church  people  and 
sects.  Finally  the  lot  was  used  to  decide  the  question.  It  was 
in  the  affirmative.  The  further  question  when  it  should  be  held 
was  decided  by  lot  "the  sooner  the  better".  Zinzendorf  then 
commissioned  Antes  to  send  out  a  circular  letter  to  the  leaders 
of  all  parties  to  invite  them  to  a  conference  to  be  held  on  the 
first  of  January,  1742,  o.  st.,  in  Germantown.  In  the  words 
of  the  call  the  conference  was  to  meet  "in  order  to  treat  peace- 
ably concerning  the  most  important  articles  of  faith,  in  order 
to  ascertain  how  closely  we  can  approach  each  other  in  funda- 
mental points,  and  in  other  matters  that  do  not  subvert  the 
ground  of  salvation,  to  bear  with  one  another  in  charity,  that 
thus  all  judging  and  condemning  among  the  above  mentioned 
souls  might  be  abated  and  prevented".  The  circular  calling  the 
conference  was  issued  by  Antes,  December  15,  1741  (o.  st). 

Meanwhile  Zinzendorf  had  gone  to  the  Forks  of  the  Dela- 
ware^^^  and  on  Christmas  eve  (n.  st.)^^*"*  named  the  new  settle- 
ment there  Bethlehem.  On  his  way  back  to  Philadelphia  he 
stopped  at  Oley,  where  he  preached  in  the  house  of  John  Berto- 
let.  Then  he  made  a  detour  to  Conestoga,  where  he  paid  the 
Seventh  Day  Dunkers  at  Ephrata  a  brief  visit.  On  December 
19th,  the  Count  and  his  party  returned  to  Germantown,  where  he 
preached  on  the  following  day  (Sunday,  December  20,  o.  st.), 
in  the  German  Reformed  Church  from  I  Tim.  3:16.     This  was 

"'  See    Adam    Gruber's    "Report"    in    Fresenius,    Bcwachrte    Nach- 
richteu,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  137. 

"*  Fresenius,  1.  c,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  138. 

"*'  People  found  much  fault  with  Zinzendorf,  because  he  always 
used  the  "new  style"  calendar,  which  differed  from  the  "old  style"  by 
eleven  davs.  The  former  was  not  legally  adopted  in  the  British  Em- 
pire till  \7b2. 

"'The  itinerary  of  Zinzendorf  is  given  in  Reichel,  Memorials  of 
the  Moravian  Church,  Vol.  I,  pp.  175-187. 


92  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

his  first  appearance  in  an  American  pulpit.  Five  other  sermons 
from  the  same  text  were  preached  by  Zinzendorf  in  the  Re- 
formed church  on  the  succeeding  Sundays. 

PENNSYLVANIA   SYNODS. 

In  response  to  the  call  issued  by  Henry  Antes,  the  first 
conference  or  "Pennsylvania  Synod"  met  in  the  house  of 
Theobalt  Endt  in  Germantown.  As  Antes  was  well  known  and 
well  liked  in  the  whole  province,  there  was  a  large  attendance. 
Every  German  denomination  was  represented.  There  were 
Lutherans,  Reformed,  Mennonites,  Bunkers,  Sabbatarians, 
Schwenkfelders,  Separatists,  Mystics  and  Moravians.  The  only 
ones,  however,  who  were  regularly  chosen  to  represent  their 
denomination  were  four  delegates  from  the  Seventh  Day  Bun- 
kers or  Sabbatarians  of  Ephrata,  the  rest  came  in  their  private 
capacity.  More  than  fifty  persons  handed  in  their  names,  al- 
though, according  to  the  statement  of  Zinzendorf,  about  one 
hundred  were  present.  The  following  were  the  most  prominent 
members  of  the  conference  :"® 

Lutheran:     Conrad  Weiser. 

Reformed:  Henry  Antes.  John  Bechtel,  John  Leinbach 
of  Oley,  and  Christopher  Meng  of  Germantown. 

Mennonite:    John  de  Tuerck  of  Oley. 

Bunkers:  Joseph  Mueller,  Andrew  Frey,  Abraham  du 
Bois  and  G.  A.  Martin. 

Sabbatarians:  Prior  Onesimus  (Israel  Eckerling),  John 
Hildebrand  and  H.  Kalkloeser. 

Schwenkf elder :   Christopher  Wiegner. 

Separatists :  J.  A.  Gruber,  Theobald  Endt,  Conrad  Mat- 
thaei. 

Hermit:  J.  G.  Stiefel. 

Moravians:  de  Thurnstein  (Count  Zinzendorf),  John 
Jacob  Mueller,  secretary  of  the  conference.  Bishop  Bavid 
kitschmann,  Andrew  Eschenbach,  John  C.  Pyrlaeus,  Gottlieb 
Buettner,  Christian  Henry  Rauch  and  others. 

Samuel  Guldin,  a  Reformed  minister,  living  in  retirement 
at  Roxboro,  was  also  present  for  one  day. 

Henry  Antes  presided  and  opened  the  meeting  by  stating 

"•  See  Reichel,  Early  History,  p.  98. 


UNION  MOVEMENT  93 

once  more  its  purpose,  which  was  not  to  dispute,  but  to  bring 
to  an  end  the  mutual  misunderstandings,  suspicion  and  criticism 
among  the  various  religious  communions.  It  was  a  noble  pur- 
pose, but  impossible  of  attainment.  It  had  hardly  been  stated 
when  one  of  the  Separatists,  a  tailor  named  Schierwagen,  pre- 
sented a  paper  in  which  he  criticised  Zinzendorf's  sermons,  es- 
pecially what  he  considered  its  uncharitable  expressions,"^ 
Zinzendorf  is  reported  to  have  replied  rather  sharply.  This 
brought  the  hermit,  Conrad  Matthaei,  to  the  defense  of  the 
tailor,  but  he  also  is  said  to  have  been  severely  reprimanded 
by  Zinzendorf.  The  latter  may  not  have  regarded  his  answer 
as  such,  but  the  result  was  that  "Many  good  people  went  away 
sad  and  refused  to  come  again". 

As  there  were  not  only  those  present  who  desired  a  closer 
union,  but  also  others  who  had  conscientious  scruples  about  too 
intimate  a  connection,  the  subject  of  union  was  discussed  on 
the  second  day.  The  conclusion  was  then  reached  that,  ac- 
cording to  the  declaration  of  Christ  (John  17:  10-23),  a  closer 
fellowship  of  believers  was  not  a  sign  of  sinful  attachment  to 
any  creature.  The  true  communion  of  saints  it  was  said,  "is 
the  Congregation  of  God  in  the  Spirit  throughout  the  whole 
world,  constituting  that  spiritual  body  whose  Head  is  Christ. 
But  they  also  constitute  the  communion  of  saints,  who  agree  in 
all  essential  points  of  doctrine,  though  outwardly  belonging  to 
different  denominations.  And  thirdly,  those  small  societies  or 
congregations  are  a  communion  of  saints  who  form  a  closer 
and  more  intimate  connection  among  themselves  in  order  that 
their  ministers,  as  they  who  must  give  an  account,  may  be 
enabled  to  watch  the  better  over  their  souls". 

On  Epiphany,  January  6,  1742,  Zinzendorf  was  in  Skip- 
pack,  where  he  preached  again  in  the  house  of  Christopher 
Wiegner.  A  number  of  Schwenkfelders  were  present  to 
greet  their  former  patron.  But,  when  Zinzendorf  insisted  that 
they  co-operate  with  him  in  the  union  synods,  they  refused. 
He  claimed  to  be  the  divinely  appointed  reformer  of  the 
Schwenkfelders,  who  had  a  right  to  their  loyalty  and  co-opera- 
tion.    This  they  denied  emphatically  and  refused  to  have  hence- 

"'  See  Fresenius,  Nachrichten,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  148. 


94  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

forth  anything  more  to  do  with  him.^^^ 

A  similar  conference  was  held  with  the  Mennonites  in 
Martin  Kolb's  house  at  Skippack,  on  January  13th.  But  it 
failed  to  shake  their  resolution  to  keep  aloof  from  the  union 
synods. 

The  second  Synod  was  held  January  14th  and  15th.  in 
the  house  of  George  Huebner  at  Falkner  Swamp.  Zinzendorf 
was  elected  presiding  officer,  or  "Syndicus",  as  the  minute? 
call  him.  But  there  were  already  indications  that  the  con- 
ferences were  not  meeting  with  favor  among  the  Germans. 
From  Germantown  none  was  present  except  John  Bechtel. 
Most  of  the  sect  people  had  withdrawn.  A  few  Dunker?  and 
some  delegates  from  the  Ephrata  cloister  were  still  present. 
But  this  was  their  last  appearance.  The  representatives  of 
the  Bunkers  were  warned  that  if  they  continued  their  associa- 
tions with  these  meetings,  they  would  no  longer  be  recognized 
by  their  brethren  as  one  of  them.  One  of  the  decisions  of  the 
conference,  expressing  probably  better  the  convictions  of  Zin- 
zendorf than  of  most  of  the  other  attendants,  was : 

"The  proper  object  of  this  assembly  of  all  evangelical  de- 
nominations is,  that  henceforth  a  poor  inquirer  for  the  way  of 
life  may  not  be  directed  in  twelve  different  ways,  but  only  in 
one,  let  him  ask  whom  he  will.  But  if  any  one  should  take  a 
fancy  to  him  who  directed  him  in  the  way,  and  should  wish  to 
travel  on  the  same  according  to  his  method,  he  has  full  liberty 
to  do  so,  provided  he  be  as  yet  in  no  connection  with  any  reli- 
gious society". 

The  third  Synod  met  at  Oley,  February  10-12,  o.  st.,  in  the 
house  of  John  de  Turk.  At  this  time  the  Seventh  Day  Dunkers 
of  Ephrata  declared  orally  and  through  letters  that  they  could 
no  longer  participate  in  the  meetings.  After  their  delegates 
had  read  their  confession  of  faith,  which  expressed  disagree- 
ment on  the  subject  of  marriage  as  well  as  on  Baptism  and  the 
Lord's  Supper,  they  withdrew,  but  not  without  having  called 
forth  the  severe  condemnation  of  the  president.  After  their 
departure,  the  people  of  Oley,  Lutherans,  Reformed,  Menno- 
nites  and  others,  who  had  been  gathered  through  the  preaching 

"'  See  Fresenius,  1.  c,  p.  153;  Kriebel,  The  Schwenkf elders  ui  Peiin- 
sylvauia,  p.  113f. 


UXIOX   MOVEMENT  95 

of  Eschenbach,  were  organized  into  a  congregation.  And,  in 
order  not  to  appear  as  proselyting  these  people,  they  were  rec- 
ognized as  an  undenominational  congregation.  Eschenbach,  who 
was  to  continue  as  their  pastor,  was  then  ordained  by  David 
Nitschmann,  assisted  by  Zinzendorf  and  Anthony  Seiffert,  a 
Moravian  minister.  At  the  same  time  three  other  Brethren 
were  ordained,  namely  Christian  Henry  Rauch,  who  had  acted 
as  missionary  among  the  Indians  near  Esopus,  N.  Y.,  Gottlob 
Buettner,  destined  to  be  missionary  among  the  Six  Nations, 
and  John  Christopher  Pyrlaeus,  whom  Zinzendorf  had  ap- 
pointed as  his  assistant  in  Philadelphia. 

The  most  interesting  act  at  this  Synod  was  the  baptism 
of  three  Mohican  Indians,  who  had  been  converted  through 
the  teaching  of  Rauch.  The  assembly  met,  February  22,  n.  St., 
in  the  barn  of  Mr.  de  Turk,  the  three  candidates  were  placed  in 
the  midst  and  with  prayer  were  devoted  to  Jesus  as  his  prop- 
erty. Then  Rauch  baptized  them,  after  the  Moravian  custom 
"into  the  wounds  of  Jesus",  with  the  names  Abraham,  Isaac 
and  Jacob.  The  solemn  act  was  concluded  with  the  singing  of  a 
hymn,  during  which  Zinzendorf  and  the  other  ministers  laid 
their  hands  upon  them. 

Another  important  act  which  took  place  at  this  synod  was 
the  more  complete  organization  of  the  movement.  Of  five 
men  appointed  by  lot  three  were  elected  trustees  of  the  synod, 
namely  Andrew  Frey,  a  Dunker,  Gottfried  Haberecht  and 
Anthony  Seiffert  of  Bethlehem.  These  three  trustees  were 
instructed  by  synod  to  elect  two  worthy  men  to  superintend 
the  Congregation  of  God  in  the  Spirit.  It  was  to  be  their  duty 
to  prevent,  as  far  as  lay  in  their  power,  this  union  from  being 
again  dissolved.  It  is  doubtful  whether  this  plan  was  really 
carried  out,  but  the  immediate  result  was  that  the  few  Menno- 
nites  and  Schwenkfelders,  who  as  private  individuals  had  still 
attended  the  synods,  now  withdrew  altogether.  The  Dunkers 
appointed  their  own  annual  conferences,  which  are  still  main- 
tained and  the  Ephrata  people  declared  in  public  print  their 
opposition  to  the  whole  movement.  Hence  the  next  synod, 
which  they  had  planned  to  hold  at  Ephrata,  was  convened  at 
Germantown. 

The  fourth  Synod  met  March  io-i2th,  o.  st.,  at  German- 
town,  in  the  house  of  Mr.  Ashmead,  to  which  Zinzendorf  and 


96  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

his  household  had  removed  from  Philadelphia.  When  Zinzen- 
dorf  found  that  all  the  German  sectarians  had  withdrawn, 
leaving  only  the  Reformed,  Lutherans  and  Moravians  present, 
he  proposed  that  the  meetings  be  discontinued,  as  they  had 
failed  to  realize  their  purpose,  but  the  other  members  of  the 
synod  voted  to  continue.  During  the  course  of  this  synod  Zin- 
zendorf  defined  his  position  towards  the  Lutherans  and  Re- 
formed churches  and  gave  reasons  why  their  united  activity  was 
desirable.  He  stated  that  he  regarded  the  Lutheran  Church  in 
some  respects  preferable  to  the  old  Moravian,  and  open  to  all 
apostolic  graces,  if  only  its  ministers  would  be  valiant,  single- 
minded,  well-grounded  in  doctrine  and  would  act  with  divine 
wisdom.  He  also  declared  that  it  was  a  great  question  whether 
a  servant  of  Christ,  who  separated  himself  from  the  Lutheran 
Church,  had  gained  anything  by  joining  another  sect. 

Regarding  the  Reformed  Church  he  referred  to  the  first 
part  of  the  published  proceedings  of  the  Synod  of  Berne  of 
1532,  saying  that  the  chief  points  of  doctrine  were  there  set 
forth  according  to  the  truth,  in  such  a  manner  that  a  servant 
of  Christ  in  that  Church  might,  under  the  shield  of  his  de- 
nominational creed,  proclaim  the  pure  Gospel.  If,  therefore, 
he  said,  these  two  churches  would  unite  and  hold  their  spiritual 
treasure  in  common,  they  might  form  a  real  apostolic  church, 
and  gradually  absorb  all  smaller  sects,  whereupon  the  Moravian 
Church,  seeing  her  dear  brothers  in  one  house,  would  be  their 
faithful  sister. 

The  fifth  synod  was  held  at  Germantown,  in  the  German 
Reformed  Church,  on  April  6-9,  1742.  The  minutes  reveal  the 
attitude  of  the  leaders  to  the  religious  condition  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. They  state :  "Pennsylvania  is  a  complete  Babel.  The 
first  to  be  accomplished  is  to  liberate  its  prisoners,  which  can- 
not be  done  according  to  common  rules :  apostolic  powers  are 
required". 

During  the  meetings  of  this  synod  a  new  catechism  was 
read  for  the  Reformed  congregations.  Its  title  may  be  rendered 
in  English :  "A  Short  Catechism  for  some  Congregations  of 
Jesus  of  the  Reformed  Religion,  which  hold  to  the  old  Synod  of 
Berne.  Published  by  John  Bechtel,  Minister  of  the  Word  of 
God.     Philadelphia,  printed  by  Benjamin  Franklin,  1742". 

From  this  title  it  has  always  been  inferred  that  Bechtel 


UNION  MOVEMENT  97 

was  the  author  of  this  catechism.  But  he  was  merely  the 
editor.  Zinzendorf  himself  was  the  author.  This  is  clearly 
stated  in  the  Bethlehem  Diary.  Under  date  July  11/22,  1742, 
we  read:  "Afterwards  Bro.  Andrew  Eschenbach  and  Gottlob 
Buettner  read  from  the  catechism  for  the  Reformed  congrega- 
tions in  Pennsylvania,  which  Bro.  Ludwig  [Zinzendorf]  wrote 
and  Bro.  John  Bechtel  edited".  It  is  also  acknowledged  by 
Moravian  historians.  George  Neisser  in  his  "Annals  of  Mora- 
vian Settlement  in  Georgia  and  Pennsylvania",  says  under  date 
March  11,  1742:  "Bro.  Ludwig  preached  in  Philadelphia  from 
the  Gospel  for  the  day.  .  .  .  He  also  completed  a  catechism 
entitled  Kurzer  Catechismus  fiir  etliche  Gemeinen  aus  der  re- 
formirten  Religion".^^^  The  catechism  is  full  of  practical 
Christianity  and  fervent  in  spirit,  but  it  lacks  method,  and  it 
can  hardly  be  called  a  Reformed  catechism,  because,  as  Boehm 
remarks :  "There  is  in  it  from  beginning  to  end  not  a  word  of 
the  articles  of  our  Christian  faith.  Nor  is  there  in  it  a  word 
about  Holy  Baptism  or  Holy  Communion,  no  word  about  the 
holy  commandments  of  God  and  no  word  about  the  most  holy 
prayer,  which  our  Saviour  has  taught  us  to  pray".  As  Saur 
refused  to  print  this  catechism,  because  it  had  Bechtel's  name 
on  it,^^°  it  was  printed  by  Benjamin  Franklin  in  Roman 
characters.  An  edition  in  German  type  was  issued  probably  in 
Germany,  although  it  retained  the  imprint  "Philadelphia,  1742". 
An  English  edition  appeared  in  the  same  year,  "printed  by 
Isaiah  Warner,  almost  opposite  to  Charles  Brockden's  in 
Chestnut  Street".  A  Swedish  translation,  made  by  Olaf  Ma- 
lander,  was  issued  by  the  Franklin  press  in  1743.^-^ 

Immediately  after  the  synod,  on  Sunday,  April  nth,  0. 
st..^--  in  the  evening  prayer  meeting.  Bishop  David  Nitsch- 

"'  Reichel,  Memorials,  p.  181.  John  Adam  Gruber,  of  German- 
town,  was  also  familiar  with  the  fact  that  Bechtel  had  merely  edited 
this  catechism,  see  Fresenius,  Nachrichten,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  176,  189. 

""  See  Levering,  Bethlehem,  p.  90,  note  4. 

"^  See  the  facsimilies  of  the  title  pages  in  Dr.  Dubbs'  Reformed 
Church  in  Pennsylvania,  p.  120. 

'"  On  .A.pril  •22nd,  new  style,  not  April  18,  1742,  as  given  by  Dr. 
Harbaugh,  Fathers,  Vol.  I,  p.  317.  See  Levering,  Bethlehem,  p.  96; 
Reichel,  Early  History,  p.  115;  Reichel,  Memorials,  p.  183;  Fresenius, 
Nachrichten,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  183. 


98  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

mann  assisted  by  Zinzendorf  ordained  John  Bechtel  pastor  of 
the  Reformed  congregation  at  Germantown  and  appointed  him 
also  as  inspector  over  all  the  Reformed  congregations  in  Penn- 
sylvania, a  position  which  he  was  not  fitted  to  fill  by  training 
and  temperament.  Adam  Gruber  reports  that  Zinzendorf  wrote 
to  Boehm  informing  him  of  this  appointment,  "asking  him  not 
to  regard  it  as  strange  that  Bechtel  had  been  made  inspector 
over  the  Refomied  ministers,  and  urging  him  to  submit  to  him. 
Boehm  is  said  to  have  given  him  a  sharp  answer".^^^ 

The  sixth  synod  was  held  again  at  Germantown,  in  Lorentz 
Schweitzer's  house,  May  5-7,  1742.  It  was  but  poorly  attended. 
The  synods  were  evidently  held  too  frequently,  and  as  a  result 
even  those  people  who  at  first  had  taken  an  interest  became 
tired  and  stayed  away.  Nothing  of  importance  was  transacted, 
but  a  plan  was  discussed  to  give  the  Lutheran  churches  belong- 
ing to  the  Union  more  coherence  by  a  new  catechism  and  a 
church-order.  Adam  Gruber  states  in  his  "Extensive  Report" 
that  "he  (Zinzendorf)  intended  to  have  a  new  Lutheran  cate- 
chism printed,  just  as  he  had  published  a  Reformed  catechism, 
according  to  the  Berne  Synod,  under  Bechtel's  name".^^*  This 
intention  was,  however,  never  carried  out.  At  the  same  meet- 
ing Antes  was  ordered  to  preach  at  Oley,  while  Eschenbach 
was  sent  to  Conestoga.  This  was  done  by  Antes,  after  he  had 
asked  for  and  received  a  call  from  the  people  at  Oley.  He 
preached  for  them  every  second  Sunday  for  some  time.  "He 
said  now  publicly  that  he  was  a  Reformed  member  and  re- 
gretted that  he  had  ever  left  them".^^^ 

The  seventh  synod  met  June  2  and  3,  1742,  at  Philadel- 
phia, in  Mr.  Evans'  house.  It  was  more  largely  attended  than 
some  of  the  earlier  meetings,  because  fifty-six  Moravian  colo- 
nists, who  had  arrived  in  Philadelphia  May  28th,  on  the  ship 
"Catharine",  attended  in  a  body.  They  made  a  request  to  be 
received  into  connection  with  the  Congregation  of  God  in  the 
Spirit,  Whereupon  not  only  they,  but  also  all  those  who  were 
to  constitute  the  church  at  Bethlehem — one  hundred  and  twenty 
in   all — were  admitted.     Thereby  the  control  of    the  synods 

'"  Fresenius,  Nachrichten,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  193. 
"*  Fresenius,  1.  c,  p.  189. 
"'Fresenius,  1.  c,  p.  187. 


UNION  MOVEMENT  1)1) 

passed  entirely  into  the  hands  of  the  Moravians,  as  they 
outnumbered  by  far  all  others.  Henry  Antes  welcomed  them 
in  the  name  of  the  synod  with  the  statement  that  "the  unde- 
nominational Synod  of  Pennsylvania  acknowledges  the  old 
Moravian  Church  just  arrived,  as  a  true  Church  of  the  Lord; 
that  their  ministers  especially  will  be  considered  their  brethren 
and  fellow-servants ;  that  as  regards  the  internal  arrangement 
of  their  Church,  the  Synod,  according  to  its  fundamental  rules, 
will  not  interfere  in  any  way,  deeming  this,  as  well  as  any  other 
church  independent  and  inviolable". 

On  the  second  day  the  synod  stated  its  views  as  to  the  re- 
ligious condition  of  the  various  religious  bodies  in  the  province 
in  nine  paragraphs.  It  resolved  to  convene  in  future  regularly 
in  a  quarterly  conference  of  ministerial  workers,  which  should 
be  open  to  all  those  who  had  remained  faithful  to  the  decisions 
of  the  first  conference,  acknowledged  the  divinity  of  Christ,  did 
not  believe  in  reprobation  and  promised  not  to  abuse  the  con- 
fidence of  the  synod.  Finally,  Henry  Antes  was  instructed  to 
prepare  a  circular,  in  the  name  of  the  synod,  in  which  all  the 
children  of  God  should  be  invited  to  join  the  Congregation  of 
God  in  the  Spirit. 

This  was  the  last  of  the  monthly  Union  Synods.  They 
had  begun  auspiciously,  but  as  the  influence  of  Zinzendorf  and 
his  Moravian  assistants  became  more  predominant,  one  after 
another  of  the  denominations  withdrew,  leaving  at  last  the 
Moravians  in  complete  control.  As  far  as  the  Reformed 
Church  was  concerned  a  distinct  effort  was  made  by  the  last 
Synod  to  create  a  division  and  to  take  the  Reformed  people 
away  from  the  control  and  the  supervision  of  the  Church  of 
Holland,  on  the  plea  that  the  latter  was  teaching  an  unscrip- 
tural  doctrine  of  predestination.  This  is  evident  from  the 
warning  that  was  addressed  to  the  Reformed  people  :^-^ 

"Because  all  those  preachers  who  come  from  the  Church 
of  Holland  are  bound  in  their  conscience  to  teach  that  God 
does  not  wish  to  save  all  people,  the  entire  Reformed  Church 
in  Pennsylvania  is  hereby  warned  in  the  most  solemn  manner: 
We  will  prove  before  an  assembly  of  them  all,  that  whoever 
does  not  bring  this  doctrine  with  him  to  America  and  advocate 

"'  See  Bucdingische  Sammlung,  Vol.  II,  p.  812f. 


100  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

it  here,  is  not  acknowledged  by  them  as  a  true  teacher ;  but  that 
whoever  brings  this  doctrine  with  him,  is  absolutely  necessitated 
to  contradict  the  Apostles  and  Prophets.  Inasmuch  as  we  can 
call  our  own  countrymen  to  witness  that  in  Germany  we  did  not 
believe  this  bold,  adventurous  doctrine,  let  each  consider  for 
himself  whether  he  will  learn  it  here ;  or  for  the  sake  of  any 
man's  self-interest,  whether  he  will  help  in  deceiving  the 
Amsterdam  Classis,  which  imagines  that  it  is  taught  as  a  funda- 
mental doctrine ;  or  whether  all  those  who  approve  of  the 
twelve  articles  of  the  Synod  of  Berne,  will  openly  acknowledge 
their  adherence  to  this  basis,  and  see  to  it  that  the  office  of  the 
ministry  in  this  country  is  conducted  in  agreement  with  it. 
Their  well-known  faithful  Bechtel,  who  has  now  for  fifteen 
years  preached  the  Gospel  for  them  in  all  simplicity,  Henry 
Antes,  Peter  Miller^-^*  and  the  former  book-keeper  of  Basel, 
John  Brandmueller,  offer  to  take  all  sincere  souls  under  their 
tenderest  care,  without  designing  in  so  doing  in  the  least  to 
stand  in  the  way  of  other  servants  of  Christ,  who  will  unite 
with  them  to  this  end.  As  soon  as  we  know  the  mind  of  any 
on  this  point,  we  shall  appoint  a  general  assembly  to  compare 
views  in  regard  to  a  Christian  ecclesiastical  organization". 

This  appeal  addressed  to  the  Reformed  congregations  failed 
to  move  them.  It  remained  for  itinerant  missionaries,  sent  out 
during  the  following  years,  to  win  adherents.  It  was  through 
them  that  the  Reformed  Church  was  threatened  with  a  serious 
division,  and  it  was  against  them  that  Boehm  launched  his 
strongest  attack. 

With  the  close  of  the  synods  the  activity  of  Zinzendorf 
among  the  Germans  was  practically  at  an  end.  On  May  30th, 
he  preached  his  farewell  sermon  in  the  Reformed  church  at 
Germantown,  in  the  course  of  which  "he  praised  and  recom- 
mended Bechtel  to  them  very  highly,  in  his  presence,  and  said 
that  he  (Bechtel)  would  soon  have  more  than  one  hundred  mem- 
bers, who  would  be  organized  into  a  congregation"."^  In  accord- 
ance with  this  purpose  Bechtel  issued  an  invitation  to  all  the 
Reformed  people  in  Gennantown  and  neighborhood  to  assem- 

^^  This  Peter  Miller  was  a  shoemaker  from  Germantown,  who 
died  in  Xovember,  1753.  He  is  mentioned  repeatedly  in  the  minutes 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Synods. 

"'  See  Fresenius,  1.  c,  p.  191. 


W   ■a 

<   E 
a  ^ 

< 
o 


^     a 


<    ^ 


UiNION   MOVEMENT  101 

ble  in  the  Reformed  church  on  Monday  following  Pentecost 
(June  7,  1742,  o.  st.).  At  that  meeting  he  asked  all  those  who 
wanted  to  be  regarded  as  members  of  the  congregation  and 
hold  to  the  Berne  Synod,  to  put  down  their  names.  "Where- 
upon (as  is  related)  17  or  18  persons  answered  in  the  affirma- 
tive and  signed  their  names". 

In  Philadelphia,  where  Zinzendorf  had  been  preaching 
to  the  Lutherans,  in  the  meeting  house  on  Arch  Street,  held 
by  them  in  common  with  the  Reformed,  he  preached  his  fare- 
well sermon  on  June  6th,  after  which  he  left  with  them  his  as- 
sistant, Rev.  John  C.  Pyrlaeus.  Zinzendorf  had  also  preached 
in  Tulpehocken,  and  before  he  left  Pennsylvania  he  in- 
stalled there  John  Philip  Meurer  as  the  Lutheran  minister. 

The  activity  of  Count  Zinzendorf  in  Pennsylvania  called 
forth  intense  opposition  from  different  parties.  The  Separatists 
were  the  first  to  attack  him.  The  Ephrata  community  issued 
a  broadside,  containing  a  "Short  Report  of  the  Causes  why 
the  Ephrata  Community  has  entered  into  an  Undertaking  with 
Count  Zinzendorf  and  his  people".  This  was  followed  in  the 
year  1743  by  three  other  pamphlets,  written  against  the  union 
movement  by  John  Hildebrandt.  Christopher  Saur  published  in 
his  paper,  Pennsylvanischer  Geschichts-Schreiber,  numerous 
articles  against  Zinzendorf,  which  the  latter  answered  in  the 
Pennsylvania  Gazette.  John  Adam  Gruber,  the  separatist, 
published  various  pamphlets  against  the  movement,  in  which 
he  complained  about  "the  untimely,  arbitrary  and  premature 
convocation  and  convention  of  various  parties  and  awakened 
souls,  done  under  the  name  of  Immanuel". 

More  important  was  the  controversy  in  which  Zinzendorf 
was  involved  with  the  leading  Presbyterian  ministers.  Rev. 
Gilbert  Tennent,  Samuel  Blair  and  others  preached  publicly 
against  him,  attacking  him  in  terms  which  were  by  no  means 
polite  or  charitable.  A  "Compendious  Extract"  was  also  pub- 
lished by  them,  in  which  Zinzendorf  and  his  Pennsylvania 
Synods  were  severely  criticized. 

In  Philadelphia  matters  came  to  a  climax  July  18,  1742, 
when  Zinzendorf  was  absent  on  his  first  journey  to  the  Indians. 
His  assistant,  John  C.  Pyrlaeus,  was  forcibly  ejected  from  the 
meeting  house,  in  which  Lutherans  and  Reformed  worshipped 
in  common.     In  justification  of  their  action  they  published  "A 


102  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

Protestation  of  the  several  ^Members  of  the  Lutherian  and 
Reformed  Religions  in  the  City  of  Philadelphia  jointly  con- 
cerned in  the  Lease  of  their  Meeting  House  in  Arch  Street 
about  the  late  Commotion  which  happened  on  Sunday  the  i8th 
of  July,  1742".  It  was  answered  in  the  "Pennsylvania  Ga- 
zette" of  August  26,  1742,  in  a  "IMemorandum  of  the  Rev. 
Lewis  of  Thiirnstein",  one  of  the  minor  titles  which  Zinzendorf 
used  during  his  stay  in  Pennsylvania.  In  the  issue  of  Sep- 
tember 2,  1742,  the  people  replied  with  "Remarks  upon  CoUnt 
Zinzendorf's  Memorandum".  The  result  of  this  agitation  was 
that  Zinzendorf  and  his  adherents  withdrew,  and  he  built  at 
his  own  expense  a  new  church  at  the  corner  of  Race  and  Broad 
streets,  known  later  as  the  Moravian  church. 

A  confusion  similar  to  that  in  Philadelphia  was  created  in 
Tulpehocken  by  the  preaching  of  the  Moravian  missionaries, 
first  by  Gottlob  Buettner  and  later  by  Philip  Meurer.  As 
there  was  a  reference  in  the  Philadelphia  "Protestation"  to 
the  troubles  at  Tulpehocken,  it  was  answered,  August  11,  174^. 
by  the  elders  of  the  Evangelical  (Moravian)  Lutheran  con- 
gregation of  Tulpehocken  in  a  pamphlet,  entitled  "The  Con- 
fusion of  Tulpehocken".  Thus  charges  and  counter-charges, 
with  violent  language  indulged  in  by  both  sides,  followed  each 
other  in   rapid   succession. 

But  the  most  elaborate  and  perhaps  the  most  violent  at- 
tack was  made  on  Zinzendorf  and  his  union  movement  by  John 
Philip  Boehm.  Through  the  published  minutes  of  the  union 
synods  the  Reformed  congregations  were  challenged  to  break 
their  connection  with  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam  and  unite  in  the 
union  movement  on  the  basis  of  the  Synod  of  Berne.  Th:s 
was  a  challenge  which  Boehm  could  not  ignore.  To  him  the 
very  existence  of  the  Church  was  involved  in  remaining  faithful 
to  the  Reformed  standards  of  the  past.  The  articles  of  the 
Synod  of  Berne  meant  nothing  to  him  or  to  any  other  Re- 
formed member.'^-^  He  had  probably  never  heard  of  them. 
The  Canons  of  the  Synod  of  Dort  had  to  him  most  likely  only 
an  historical  interest.     He  does  not  betray  by  a  single  word 

'"They  are  not  contained  in  any  of  the  numerous  collections  of 
Reformed  confessions,  such  as  Niemeyer'?,  Augusti's,  Boeckel's,  Vinke's, 
Heppe's,  or  Mess'. 


UNION   MOVExMENT  103 

that  he  ever  read  them.  But  he  taught  and  preached  the 
Heidelberg  Catechism,  and  that  creed  he  would  not  give  up. 
Against  it  none  of  the  objections  of  Zinzendorf  could  be  raised, 

<jc?te«tr  Warnungs 


Hochtcutfche  Efangellfcfi  Rcfonnlrtcn 

Gcmcinden  und  allc  dcren  Glieder,-i» 


Ziff  gctreuen  Warfchauung,  vor  derjen  Leutlicn,  wd- 

che  untcr  <Jcm  nahmcn  voii 

HERRN-HUTHER 

XJmb  licli  vol*  deren  Seekerderbliclien  und  GfWil^- 

vcrwuftcndsn  Lehrciu  huthea  nnd  woBl  vorztt* 

ighcn,  dafnit  fie  nich'c 

Darcli  den  fchcin  ihres  (euferlichen  fcheinlienigefi  Wc- 

{ens,  und  felbH:  ein^ebiideten  Gercchtlgkeit  un4 
Heiligkeit,  xu  ihrer  Seelara  cwigea  icLadca. 

iTiogen  verfulnt  wer(iau 

Kach  dcm  Exempel  elnes  Ehrwurdigen 
KtRCHEN  RATHS  von 

Am  ft  er  da 

tlod  ScbuldigJ-?i«  halbcnj'gcfcbtiibeJ)  Toa mir, 

Johi  Ph:  Bghniy 

TITLE  PACE  OF  ROEHM's  LETTER  OF  WARXIXG  AGAINST  THE 
MORAVIANS,     1742. 


104  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

for  it  did  not  teach  the  doctrine  of  reprobation,  so  obnoxious 
to  Zinzendorf  and — to  most  Reformed  people. 

In  order  to  guard  his  beloved  Reformed  Church  against 
disruption  and  division,  Boehm  issued  on  August  23,  1742,  a 
"True  Letter  of  Warning  addressed  to  the  Reformed  Congre- 
gations of  Pennsylvania".  In  the  preceding  year  two  Dutch 
books,  published  against  the  Aloravians  by  the  Classis  of 
Amsterdam,  had  been  sent  to  him.  Of  these  books  he  made 
faithful  use,  adopting  from  them  also,  unfortunately,  their 
objectionable  style,  filled  with  vituperation  and  denunciation. 
It  was  the  polemical  language  of  the  day. 

The  main  part  of  the  book  (following  p.  20)  is  chiefly 
historical.  Boehm  reviews  in  it  the  circumstances  under  which 
he  first  came  in  contact  with  Zinzendorf.  It  was  during  his 
visit  to  Philadelphia,  December  25-27,  1741.  At  that  time  he 
learned  of  the  intention  of  some  Lutherans  to  have  Zinzendorf 
preach  in  the  union  meeting  house.  As  Boehm  discouraged 
it,  it  did  not  take  place.  But  on  January  8.  1742,  Zinzendorf 
wrote  Boehm  a  letter  inquiring  whether  he  had  any  right  to 
object  to  his  preaching  in  the  church,  as  the  Lutheran  elders 
had  invited  him.  Boehm  answered  evasively.  But  on  Sunday, 
January  loth,  Zinzendorf  preached  in  the  meeting  house  for 
the  first  time  to  the  Lutherans.  As  Zinzendorf  introduced 
himself  as  a  Lutheran  minister,  he  received  a  call  from  the 
Lutheran  congregation,  which  he  accepted.  To  this  act  Boehm 
raised  decided  objection  in  his  book,  saying  that  he  might  in- 
deed have  been  born  and  brought  up  in  the  Lutheran  Church, 
but  he  could  hardly  call  himself  a  Lutheran,  after  he  had  be- 
come a  Moravian  bishop.^-*' 

"'The  position  of  Zinzendorf  was  indeed  peculiar.  He  had  been 
ordained  a  Lutheran  minister  in  1734.  In  1737  he  was  ordained  a 
Moravian  bishop,  but  regarded  himself  as  still  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
Church.  The  Moravian  Church  was  Lutheran  in  creed  (it  subscribed 
to  the  Augsburg  Confession),  but  episcopal  in  form  of  government. 
See  Levering,  Bethlehem,  p.  27.  It  was  their  subscription  to  the  Lu- 
theran creed  which  secured  them  toleration  in  Germany.  Yet  Zinzendorf 
considered  the  Moravian  Church  as  an  independent  church.  In  his  an- 
swer to  Boehm,  issued  through  George  Neisser,  he  says :  "It  is  certain 
that  the  Herrnhut  Brethren  until  this  hour,  in  all  lands  where  they 
are  found,  stand  indisputably  upon  the  footing  not  of  a  merely 
tolerated  church,  but  they  stand  rather  as  the  oldest  among  the  Protes- 


UNION   MOVEMENT  105 

Then  Boehm  reviews  at  length  the  various  union  synods. 
In  connection  with  the  first  synod  he  expresses  his  surprise 
that  Henry  Antes  participated  in  it.  He  refers  touchingly  to 
his  former  friendship  with  him  and  to  the  fact  that  he  was 
one  of  the  two  men  who  with  tears  in  their  eyes  urged  the 
ministry  of  the  Word  upon  him.  He  reminds  Antes  of  his 
vows  made  at  his  confirmation,  and  calls  upon  him  to  return 
to  "the  truth  of  our  Reformed  religion". 

Regarding  the  second  synod,  Boehm  refutes  the  attempt 
made  to  show  that  the  Mennonites  approved  of  their  organiza- 
tion by  quoting  from  a  Dutch  book  the  declaration  of  one  of 
the  Mennonite  ministers  in  Holland  concerning  the  Moravians. 
He  also  condemned  the  use  of  the  lot  at  the  second  synod.  But 
his  wrath  was  particularly  roused  by  a  reference  to  the  "min- 
isters of  the  Lutheran,  Reformed  and  Tunker  religion  present 
at  the  conference".  To  this  statement  Boehm  opposes  the  de- 
cree :  "We  Reformed  members,  standing  under  the  Church 
Order,  approved  of  and  instituted  by  the  Classis  of  Amster- 
dam, recognize  no  one  as  a  member,  much  less  as  a  minister 
of  our  Church,  who  contaminates  himself  with  the  Moravian 
soul  destructive  doctrine,  until  his  total  repentance  of  his 
serious  lapse  and  return  to  our  doctrine  and  Church,  based 
upon  God's  Word", 

In  the  third  synod,  Boehm  objects  to  the  statement  that 
"Brother  Christian  Henry  (Ranch)  concluded  to  pour  out  the 
love  of  God  and  the  Holy  Ghost"  and  that  he  baptized  the  three 
Indian  converts  "in  the  death  of  Christ".  He  also  finds  fault 
that  Zinzendorf  called  himself  a  Lutheran  minister  and  yet 
associated  with  the  Seventh  Day  Dunkers,  who  burned  Lu- 
ther's Catechism,  that  he  had  called  their  observance  of  Satur- 
day as  Sabbath  "a  respectable  practice"  and  that  he  had  taken 
part  in  their  footwashing  and  love-feast,  when  he  visited 
Ephrata. 

In  the  minutes  of  the  fourth  synod,  Boehm  objects  to  the 

tant  churches."  If  Lutheran  and  Moravian  churches  were  independent 
bodies,  how  was  membership  in  both  possible?  In  answer  it  might  be 
said,  that  Zinzendorf  before  coming  to  America  resigned  his  episcopal  dig- 
nity, and  hence  fell  back  upon  that  of  a  Lutheran  minister.  However 
it  may  be  explained,  it  was  at  this  point  that  Zinzendorf  exposed  him- 
self to  attack. 


106  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

statement  "we  claim  the  right  which  Jesus,  according  to  John 
17,  has  given  to  us  over  all  the  children  of  God  in  this  land, 
whatever  their  condition  may  be,  which  right  the  laborers  of 
the  different  religions  have  conceded  to  us  at  the  first  con- 
ference". Boehm  denies  that  John  17  grants  any  rights  or 
privileges  to  Zinzendorf,  but  contends  that  the  rights  spoken 
of  are  those  of  Christ  himself. 

In  connection  with  the  fifth  synod,  Boehm  reviews  at 
length  the  catechism  published  by  Bechtel.  Regarding  its 
authorship  he  declares  that  Bechtel  shot  off  only  the  bullet 
which  Zinzendorf  had  cast.  This  catechism,  Boehm  declared, 
could  not  be  regarded  as  Reformed,  because  it  contained  none 
of  the  recognized  five  points  of  catechetical  material.  It  did 
not  treat  of  the  Apostolic  Creed,  the  Lord's  Prayer,  the  Com- 
mandments, the  Lord's  Supper  and  Baptism. 

As  regards  the  fifth  synod,  Boehm  refuses  absolutely  to 
recognize  the  validity  of  Bechtel's  ordination  as  that  of  a  Re- 
formed minister.  A  Moravian  Bishop,  he  claims,  cannot  ordain 
a  Reformed  minister,^^°  much  less  appoint  him  as  inspector 
over  all  the  rest. 

In  connection  with  the  last  synod,  Boehm  censures  the 
arbitrary  manner  in  which  Zinzendorf  changed  long  estab- 
lished sacred  customs,  as  when  he  baptized  a  child  by  pouring 
water  into  its  bosom.  He  also  criticizes  his  arbitrary  assump- 
tion of  power,  as  when  he  announced  the  deposition  of  the  Lu- 
theran minister  at  Tulpehocken,  Mr.  Stoever."^ 

The  book  of  Boehm  was  published  in  parts  which  ap- 
peared weekly.  He  began  in  June  and  finished  the  publication 
in  August,  1742.  There  can  be  no  question  that  it  exerted  con- 
siderable influence  among  the  Reformed  and  Lutheran  con- 
gregations and  put  them  everywhere  on  guard  against  the 
operations  of  the  Moravian  missionaries.  As  Boehm  was 
compelled  to  sell  his  book,  he  found  that  many  poor  people 

""Lischy's  ordination  (also  conferred  by  a  Moravian  bishop)  was 
indeed  recognized  by  the  Reformed  Coetus.  He  was  not  re-ordained. 
But  before  he  was  recognized  as  a  Reformed  minister,  he  had  to  sub- 
mit a  written  confession  of  faith,  which  was  approved,  and  then  he  was 
admitted  by  vote  as  a  Reformed  minister  and  member  of  the  Coetus. 

"'That  Zinzendorf  attempted  to  depose  Stoever  is  also  stated  by 
Gruber,  see  Fresenius,  Nachrichten,  Vol.  HI,  p.  201. 


UNION  MOVEMENT  107 

were  unable  to  buy  it.  He,  therefore,  issued  in  1743  a  four 
page  broadside,  in  which  he  summarized  his  chief  points,  call- 
ing special  attention  to  the  missionary  activities  of  the  Re- 
formed ministers  in  the  union  movement,  Antes,  Bechtel  and 
Lischy. 

Boehm  was  ably  seconded  in  his  attack  by  Rev.  Samuel 
Guldin,^^-  a  Reformed  minister  from  Switzerland,  who  had 
lived  since  1710  in  retirement  at  Roxboro,  near  Philadelphia. 
In  1743  Guldin  published  a  book  by  Saur's  press  entitled: 
"Unpartisan  Witness  on  the  New  Union  of  all  Denominations 
in  Pennsylvania,  and  also  some  other  points."  It  consists  of 
five  parts,  written  in  the  course  of  the  year  1742.  In  this  book 
Guldin  insists  that  there  must  be  first  union  in  Christ  before 
there  can  be  union  with  others.  This  spirit  of  union  must  come 
from  above.  It  is  not  the  work  of  men.  It  implies  repentance 
and  conversion.  Only  when  thus  drawn  together  by  Christ 
and  to  Christ,  can  we  be  drawn  to  each  other.  The  criticisms 
in  the  minutes  of  the  union  synods,  he  says,  could  not  over- 
come the  differences  between  the  denominations,  but  rather  in- 
tensified an!  aggravated  them. 

The  book  of  Boehm.  v,-as  ansvv-ered  by  Zinzendorf  in  a 
"Straightforward  Account  to  the  Public  regarding  the  libellous 
Book  of  the  Dutch  Minister  Johan  Philip  Boehm  published 
by  Andrew  Bradford  against  the  Herrnhuters.  .  .  .  Edited 
by  George  Neisser,  from  Sehlen,  Moravia,  schoolmaster  at 
Bethlehem,  Philadelphia,  printed  by  B.  Franklin,  1742."  What 
is  true  of  the  so-called  Bechtel  catechism  is  likewise  true  of 
this  book.  George  Neisser  was  not  the  author  but  only  the 
editor.  This  is  stated  distinctly  in  the  Bethlehem  diary,  under 
date  August  9,  1742:  "Bro.  George  Neisser  was  commissioned 
to  edit  a  book,  written  (abgefasst)  by  Bro.  Ludwig.    Its  print- 

'^  Rev.  Samuel  Guldin  was  the  earliest  Reformed  minister  in 
Pennsylvania.  He  was  born  in  Berne,  Switzerland,  in  1664.  He  en- 
tered the  Latin  school  at  Berne  in  1679 ;  became  pastor  at  Stettlen,  in 
the  Canton  of  Berne,  1692-1696;  assistant  preacher  in  the  Cathedral 
of  Berne,  1696-1699 ;  was  deposed  in  1699  because  of  pietism.  Emi- 
grated to  Pennsylvania,  arriving  at  Philadelphia,  September  24,  1710. 
Lived  in  retirement  at  Roxboro,  near  Philadelphia.  Preached  occa- 
sionally in  the  Reformed  Church  at  Germantown.  He  died  in  Philadel- 
phia, December  31,  1745.  See  Dr.  Good's  History  of  the  Rcf.  Ch.  in 
U.  S.,  1729-1792,  pp.  68-88. 


108  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

ing  has  been  entrusted  to  Bro.  Henry  jMiller  in  Franklin's  office 
and  it  has  been  sent  to  him."  The  title  page  does  not  claim 
for  Neisser  more  than  editorship  and  this  was  well  known  to 
his  contemporaries. ^^^ 

When  Zinzendorf  left  Pennsylvania,  December  31,  1742, 
to  return  to  Europe,  the  main  results  of  his  activity  in  Penn- 
sylvania were  fourfold :  First,  numerous  congregations  had 
been  organized  at  Bethlehem,  Nazareth,  Philadelphia,  Hebron 
(at  Lebanon),  Heidelberg  (in  North  Heidelberg  township, 
Berks  County),  Lancaster  and  York.  Second,  provision  had 
been  made  for  systematic  missionary  work  among  the  Indians. 
Third,  schools  had  been  established  at  Germantown,  Frederick 
township,  Oley  and  Heidelberg,  and  fourth,  an  extensive  plan 
of  itinerant  missionary  work  had  been  put  into  operation.  It 
was  especially  through  the  last  method  that  the  Congregation 
of  God  in  the  Spirit  carried  on  its  work  during  the  following 
years,  from  1743-1747. 

"'  See  Freseniu?,  Nachrkhtcn,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  677. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

boehm's  opponents  in  the  union  movement. 

As  Boehm  came  in  contact  with  most  of  the  Reformed 
ministers  active  in  the  union  movement,  their  efforts  should 
be  reviewed  in  connection  with  his  Hfe.  The  principal  Re- 
formed missionaries  who  took  part  in  the  union  movement  of 
Zinzendorf  were  six,  Antes,  Bechtel,  Lischy,  Rauch,  Brand- 
miller  and  Bruce. 

henry  antes. 

The  first,  with  whom  probably  the  whole  idea  of  the  union 
synods  originated,  was  Henry  Antes.  John  Henry  Antes^^* 
was  born  in  the  village  of  Freinsheim,  in  the  Palatinate,  July 
II,  i/Oi,  and  was  baptized  there  July  17,  1701.  His  father 
was  Philip  Frederick  Antes  and  his  mother  Anna  Catharine. 
They  had  six  children,  of  whom  John  Henry  was  the  oldest. 
Frederick  Antes  and  his  family  came  to  Pennsylvania  in  172 1. 
On  February  20,  1723,  Frederick  Antes  of  Germantown  bought 
of  Hendrick  Van  Bebber  154  acres,  situate  in  Philadelphia 
County,  for  which  he  paid  £38.5.0,  Pennsylvania  currency. 
The  land  was  part  of  the  Manatawny  tract,  in  what  is  now 
New  Hanover  township,  Montgomery  County.  In  1728,  Fred- 
erick Antes  was  one  of  the  elders  of  the  Falkner  Swamp 
church,,  who  petitioned  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam  for  the  ordi- 
nation of  Boehm.  In  November,  1729,  he  was  one  of  the 
three  commissioners  sent  to  New  York,  to  be  present  at  the 
ordination  of  Boehm  in  New  York.    According  to  the  records 

"*  For  Frederick  Antes  and  his  son,  Henry  Antes,  see  the  ex- 
cellent articles  of  Mr.  Dotterer  in  the  Perkiovien  Region.  Frederick 
Antes,  Perkiomen  Region,  Vol.  II,  pp.  60-61,  176-178;  Henry  Antes, 
I.  c,  pp.  106-108,  12.3-12.5,  14.5-147.  On  January  20,  1736,  Mr.  Boehm 
made  an  extract  from  his  church  record,  relating  to  the  marriage  of 
Henry  Antes  and  the  baptisms  of  his  children.  This  certificate  is  still 
in  existence.  It  was  translated  and  printed  by  Mr.  Dotterer  in  his 
Perkiomen  Region,  Vol.  I,  p.  51f. 


110  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Philadelphia,  Frederick 
Antes  was  married  a  second  time,  April  9,  1742,  to  Elizabeth 
Nayman.  His  will  was  made  August  15,  1746,  and  was  pro- 
bated November  26,  1746. 

His  son,  John  Henry  Antes,  a  millwright  by  trade,  at  an 
early  date  formed  a  partnership  with  William  Dewees  of  Ger- 
mantown.  With  him  he  engaged  in  the  construction  and  run- 
ning of  a  paper  mill  and  grist  mill  on  the  Wissahickon.  In  the 
family  of  his  partner  Henry  Antes  found  his  wife.  On  Feb- 
ruary 2,  1726,  he  was  married  to  Christina  Elizabetha  Dewees 
by  his  pastor,  John  Philip  Boehm..  In  1735  he  is  referred  to 
as  a  resident  of  Frederick  township.  On  September  2,  1735, 
he  bought  175  acres  of  land  in  Frederick  township.  This  be- 
came his  permanent  home  and  from  it  he  was  known  as  '"the 
pious  Reformed  man  of  Frederick  township". ^^^ 

The  year  1736  marked  the  beginning  of  Henry  Antes' 
missionary  activity.  In  a  contemporaneous  document,  the  old 
Moravian  record  of  the  Oley  Church,  now  at  Bethlehem,  we 
find  the  following  statement : 

"In  the  year  1736,  Henry  Antes  came  to  Oley  and  preached 
there  with  blessing.  He  found  an  entrance  there  and  several 
were  touched  by  the  truth.  The  people  expressed  a  great 
desire  to  hear  his  sermons,  for  which  reason  he  visited  this 
place  faithfully.  There  were  at  that  time  all  kinds  of  spirits 
in  Oley,  of  which  the  Newborn  were  the  dominant  party. 
Dear  Antes  was  not  equal  to  them.  He  waited,  therefore,  for 
the  time  when  the  Lord  himself  would  check  them,  which  took 
place  in  the  following  manner:  In  the  year  1737,  our  dear 
and  reverend  brother  Spangenberr^  had  come  to  Georgia  and 
from  there  had  traveled  to  Pennsylvania,  which  he  reached  in 
that  year.  He  stayed  for  a  little  while  at  Skippack.  where  he 
heard  of  the  work  of  the  dear  brother,  Henry  Antes.  He  then 
resolved  to  visit  Oley  and  came  there  in  the  year  1737,  ac- 
companied by  the  sainted  Wiegner. 

"He  is  the  first  [Moravian]  brother,  who  came  to  Oley 
and  there  he  gave  such  testimony  regarding  the  meritorious 

"'  In  a  letter,  dated  March  15,  1743,  Antes  states  that  he  had  been 
in  America  twenty-two  years.  Hence  he  arrived  in  1721.  See  Fre- 
senius,  Nachrichten,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  745. 


OPPONENTS  IN  UNION  111 

death  of  Christ,  with  such  a  demonstration  of  the  Spirit,  that 
the  power  of  darkness  received  a  severe  blow.  His  first  ser- 
mon was  dcHvered  in  the  house  of  Jonathan  Herbein  and  the 
second  in  the  house  of  Abraham  Bertholet.  He  attacked  the 
Newborn  in  his  discourse  from  the  words  of  I  John  i  :/,  8,  9. 
Through  this  address  the  spirit  of  the  Newborn  was  so  broken, 
that  it  could  not  gain  strength  again  and  is  daily  becoming 
weaker". 

About  the  year  1737,  an  estrangement  arose  between  Henry 
Antes  and  his  pastor,  John  Philip  Boehm.  The  exact  cause  is 
at  present  unknown.  Boehm  says  in  his  "Letter  of  Warning" 
that  Antes  separated  from  the  congregation  "several  years  ago, 
because  of  altogether  reprehensible  reasons''.  John  Adam 
Gruber  declares  that  Antes,  "who  from  the  time  of  Spangen- 
berg  had  been  awakened,  saw  the  decay  of  his  Reformed  party, 
and  testified  regarding  it,  for  which  reason  he  had  to  suffer 
sore  trials  from  his  brethren  in  the  church  and  his  teacher".^^^ 
A  third  witness,  John  Antes,  the  son  of  Henry  Antes,  states 
in  his  autobiography  that  "Antes  rebuked  the  stationed  minister 
of  this  district  for  his  unbecoming  behaviour,  on  which  account 
he  felt  so  offended  that  he  refused  to  baptize  me".^^^  It  is, 
however,  possible  that  Antes'  association  with  Spangenberg 
brought  about  the  ill-feeling  between  him  and  his  pastor. 

During  the  stay  of  Spangenberg  in  Pennsylvania  (Sep- 
tember, 1 737- August,  1739)  he  gathered  many  like-minded 
persons  around  him  and  held  with  them  weekly  prayer  meet- 
ings. After  his  return  to  Europe  "some  friends  who  through 
friendship  with  him  had  become  better  acquainted  with  each 
other  and  had  expressed  themselves  more  freely  towards  each 
other,  met  frequently,  sometimes  here  sometimes  there,  in  order 
to  learn  to  know  and  comprehend  God  more  fully.  This  con- 
tinued with  considerable  blessing  for  two  years". ^^'*  The  head- 
quarters of  these  meetings  was  the  home  of  Christopher  Wieg- 
ner  at  Skippack  and  the  persons  who  met  there  and  elsewhere 
in  the  neighborhood  were  known  as  the  "Associated  Brethren 

"*  See  Fresenius,  Nachrkhten,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  135. 
'"'Quoted  by  Mr.  Dotterer  in  an  article  on  John  Antes,  see  Perki- 
omen  Region,  Vol.  I,  p.  92. 

"'•  See  Fresenius,  Nachrkhten,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  I21f. 


112  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

of  Skippack"."^ 

When  in  the  spring  of  1740  Peter  Boehler  and  a  number 
of  other  Moravians  came  to  Pennsylvania,  Antes  acted  as  guide 
to  take  them  to  what  is  now  Nazareth  in  Northampton  County, 
where  they  had  contracted  with  Whitefield  to  erect  a  school 
for  negroes  on  his  land.  Soon  warm  friendship  arose  between 
Antes  and  the  Moravians,  and  "since  Oley  was  lying  upon  his 
heart  as  his  special  field,  he  brought  Brother  Boehler  to  Oley 
and,  as  some  say,  Andrew  Eschenbach,  in  the  spring  of 
1740".^^®  As  Eschenbach  did  not  arrive  in  Pennsylvania  till 
October,  1740,  the  date  "spring  1740"  can  refer  only  to  Peter 
Boehler. 

In  the  spring  of  1740,  Whitefield  conducted  his  remark- 
able and  memorable  revival  meetings  in  Pennsylvania,  which 
brought  him  in  contact  with  Henry  Antes  and  the  Germans 
in  Skippack  and  Frederick  township.  Whitefield's  companion 
and  financial  supporter,  William  Seward,  has  left  the  following 
account  of  the  meetings  at  Skippack  and  Frederick  in  his 
diary :"« 

"*  Among  the  persons  who  were  thus  associated,  may  be  men- 
tioned :  Henry  Frey,  John  Kooken,  George  Merkel,  Christian  Weber, 
John  Bonn,  Jacob  Wentz,  Jost  Schmidt,  William  Bossen,  and  Jost 
Becker,  of  Skippack;  Henry  Antes.  William  Frey,  George  Stiefel, 
Henry  Holstein  and  Andrew  Frey,  of  Frederick  Township;  Matthias 
Gemelen  and  Abraham  Wagner,  of  Matetsche;  John  Bertolet,  Francis 
Ritter  and  William  Pott,  of  Oley ;  John  Bechtel,  John  Adam  Gruber, 
Blasius  Mackinet  and  George  Bensel,  of  Germantown.  See  Reichel, 
Memorials,  p.  160.  The  Wiegner  farm  lies  two  miles  south  of 
Kulpsville. 

"'  Quoted  from  the  Oley  church  record,  now  at  Bethlehem. 

^"  See  Seward's  Journal,  quoted  by  Mr.  Dotterer,  in  his  Historical 
Notes,  p.  84.  Whitefield's  diary  relates  the  same  incidents  as  follows : 
"Thursday,  April  24,  1740.  Preached  at  Skippack,  sixteen  miles  from 
Montgomery,  where  the  Dutch  People  live.  It  was  seemingly  a  very 
wilderness  part  of  the  country;  but  there  were  not  less,  I  believe,  than 
2000  Hearers.  Conviction  seemed  to  fasten  at  the  latter  End  of  the 
Sermon.  Travelling  and  preaching  in  the  Sun  again  weakened  me 
much,  but  by  the  Divine  Assistance  I  took  Horse,  rode  twelve  miles, 
and  preached  in  the  Evening  to  about  3000  People  at  a  Dutch  Man's 
Plantation,  who  seemed  to  have  drank  deeply  into  the  consolations  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  We  spent  the  evening  in  a  most  agreeable  Manner. 
I  never  saw  more  Simplicity :  surely,  that  House  was  a  Bethel.  The 
Dutch  prayed  and  sung  in  their  own  Language,  and  then  God  enlarged 
my  Heart  to  pray  in  ours." 


OPPONENTS  IN  UNION  113 

"April  24,  [1740].  Rose  at  five,  wrote  my  Journal  and 
dispatch'd  several  Letters  to  Georgia.  Came  to  Christopher 
Wigner's  Plantation  in  Skippack,  where  many  Dutch  people 
settled,  and  where  the  famous  Mr.  Spangenberg  resided  lately. 
It  was  surprizing  to  see  such  a  Multitude  of  People  gathered 
together  in  such  a  wilderness  country.  Thirty  Miles  distant 
from  Philadelphia.  Nothing  but  the  mighty  Power  of  God 
could  effect  this.  Our  Brother  [Whitefield]  was  exceedingly 
carried  out  in  his  Sermon,  to  press  poor  Sinners  to  come  to 
Christ  by  Faith,  and  claim  all  their  Privileges,  viz.  not  only 
Righteousness  and  Peace,  but  Joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost ;  and  after 
he  had  done,  our  dear  Friend,  Peter  Boehler,  preach'd  in 
Dutch  to  those  who  could  not  understand  our  Brother  in  Eng- 
lish. Came  to  Henry  Anti's  Plantation  in  Frederick  Township, 
Ten  Miles  farther  in  the  Country,  where  was  also  a  Multitude 
equally  surprising  with  what  we  had  in  the  Morning,  and  our 
Brother  was  equally  carried  out  to  press  poor  Sinners  to  know 
God,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom  God  hath  sent. 

"There  was  much  melting  under  both  Sermons,  but  my 
Heart  was  too  hard,  which  I  was  drawn  to  complain  to  my 
dear  Jesus,  whose  Blood  and  nothing  less,  can  soften  it,  and 
forever  blessed  be  his  name,  he  heard  my  Prayers,  and  spoke 
Peace  to  my  troubled  Soul. 

"At  Night  I  was  drawn  to  sing  and  pray  with  our  Brethren 
in  the  Fields. 

"Brother  Whitefield  was  very  weak  in  Body,  but  the 
Lord  Jehovah  was  his  Strength,  and  did  indeed  magnify  the 
same  in  his  Weakness,  for  I  never  heard  him  speak  more 
clear  and  powerful. 

"They  were  Germans  where  we  dined  and  supp'd,  and 
they  pray'd  and  sung  in  Dutch,  as  we  did  in  English,  before 
and  after  Eating". 

When  Zinzendorf  came  to  Pennsylvania,  in  December, 
1741,  Henry  Antes  conferred  with  him  about  the  Union  Synods, 
and  on  December  15,  1741,  issued  a  call  for  a  union  synod,  to 
be  held  on  New  Year's  day  1742  (o.  st.).  Zinzendorf  himself 
claimed  later  that  the  idea  of  such  synods  did  not  originate 
with  him.    He  wrote:    "I  was  neither  the  author  nor  advisor 


114  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

of  these  meetings,"^  which  were  called  by  Pennsylvanians  who 
had  become  tired  of  their  own  ways.  What  the  object  of  these 
meetings  may  have  been,  I  am  not  able  to  determine.  I  should 
think  that  every  deputy  had  his  own  instructions.  What  my 
ultimate  object  was,  I  know  well  enough,  and  have  not  for  a 
moment  endeavored  to  conceal.  I  wished  to  make  use  of  this 
opportunity  to  enthrone  the  Lamb  as  the  real  Creator,  Pre- 
server, Redeemer  and  Sanctifier  of  the  whole  world,  and  at  the 
same  time  to  introduce,  in  theory  and  practice,  the  catholicity 
of  the  doctrine  of  His  passion,  as  a  universal  theology  for  the 
German  Pennsylvanians".^*^ 

Antes  presided  at  the  first  Synod  and  took  a  prominent 
part  in  all  the  later  synods.  In  the  last  synod  he  was  com- 
missioned to  prepare  a  circular  to  the  Germans  asking  them  to 
join  the  Congregation  of  God  in  the  Spirit.  In  the  summer 
of  1742  Antes  was  again  sent  to  Oley,  after  Eschenbach  had 
been  directed  to  go  to  Conestoga.  Gruber  reports  that  he  re- 
ceived a  written  call  from  the  people  of  Oley  at  this  time, 
in  which  he  was  asked  to  preach  for  them  every  two  weeks. 
After  the  year  1742  Antes  withdrew  from  his  missionary  ac- 
tivity, but  became  active  in  the  secular  affairs  of  the  Moravian 
settlements  at  Bethlehem  and  Nazareth. 

When  the  fifteenth  Pennsylvania  Synod  was  held  in  his 
house  in  Frederick  township,  in  March,  1745,  he  offered  the 
use  of  his  plantation  and  house  to  the  Brethren  as  a  boarding 
school  for  boys.  The  school  was  opened  in  June,  1745,  and 
was  maintained  till  1750,  when  it  was  transferred  to  Oley. 
Upon  the  opening  of  the  school,  Antes  and  his  family, — except 

*"  This  agrees  with  what  Antes  states  in  the  call  for  the  con- 
ference :  "It  has  been  under  consideration  for  two  years  or  more, 
whether  it  would  not  be  possible  to  appoint  a  general  assembly."  To 
this  statement  Gruber  remarks :  "I  have  had  for  some  years  much  in- 
tercourse with  Henry  Antes,  as  with  my  dear  friend,  but  such  a  con- 
ference has  never  been  mentioned,  neither  by  him  nor  by  any  of  the 
other  friends  in  my  presence,  nor  was  there  any  desire  of  and  urging 
for  it.  But  Spangenberg  mentioned  it  formerly  in  my  presence,  with 
whom  I  agreed  and  expressed  the  same  wish  that  there  might  be 
harmony  between  the  several  well-inclined  parties."  See  Fresenius, 
Nachrichten,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  303f,  note. 

"^  See  Zinzendorf's  Natiirelle  Reflcxionen,  p.  194f,  quoted  by 
Reichel,  Early  History,  p.  99. 


ms 


the;  tomb  of  henry  antes 


OPPONENTS  IN  UNION  115 

two  of  his  sons  who  remained  as  pupils  of  the  school, — moved 
to  Bethlehem.  There  he  had  charge  of  the  construction  of 
mills,  bridges,  dams  and  houses  for  the  Brethren.  October 
2y,  1748,  he  was  appointed  General  Business  Manager  for  the 
Brethren,  taking  care  of  their  extensive  properties.  In  April 
1750,  Antes  returned  to  his  farm  in  Frederick  township.  His 
withdrawal  was  due  to  the  introduction  of  white  robes  or  sur- 
plices then  worn  by  Moravian  ministers  at  the  celebration  of 
the  eucharist.  Of  this  he  disapproved  as  smacking  of  catholic- 
ism.'  Dr.  Harbaugh  quotes  Antes  as  saying :  "They  introduced 
the  mass-robes  when  they  celebrated  the  communion."  Henry 
Antes  died  July  20,  1755,  and  was  buried  on  his  own  farm. 
His  tombstone,  still  standing,  bears  a  fitting  German  inscrip- 
tion, which  may  be  rendered  as  follows  in  English: 

"Here  rests 

Henry  Antes : 

An   Ornament  of  this  Land ; 

An  upright,  fearless 

Administrator  of  Justice 

And  a  faithful  Servant 

Before  the  World's  and  God's  People 

Fell  asleep 

in  Frederick-Town  July  20 

1755 
aged  54  years." 

JOHN  BECHTEL. 

Closely  associated  with  Antes  in  the  Union  Movement  of 
Zinzendorf  was  John  Bechtel.  He  has  left  behind  an  interest- 
ing autobiography,  which  deserves  to  be  printed  in  full.^^-**  He 
writes : 

"I  was  born  in  the  year  1690,  on  the  3rd  of  October,  in 

"^'  It  was  printed  by  Dr.  Harbaugh,  Fathers  of  the  Reformed 
Church,  Vol.  I,  pp.  312-316.  We  are  able  to  make  a  number  of  cor- 
rections, on  the  basis  of  the  original  text,  which  is  found  in  the 
"Bethlehem   Diary." 


116  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

Weinheim,  at  the  "Bergstrasse"/"  in  the  Electoral  Palatinate, 
to  which  place  my  parents  had  fled  when  the  town  of  Francken- 
thal,  where  they  had  resided  previously,  had  been  burned  by 
the  French.  My  dear  parents  insisted  from  my  earliest  youth 
that  I  attend  diligently  church  and  school.  In  my  ninth  year 
my  mother,  and  in  my  fourteenth  year  my  father  departed  this 
world. 

'"In  the  year  1704,  I  came  to  Heidelberg  as  an  apprentice  to 
a  woodturner,  where,  although  I  was  with  my  blood  relations, 
I  was  kept  very  strictly.  Nevertheless,  I  was  diligently  kept 
to  attendance  upon  church  and  the  reading  of  the  Bible,  to 
which  I  had  also  a  special  inclination  and  as  a  result  of  which 
I  felt  many  a  good  impulse  in  my  heart.  In  the  fall  of  1709, 
I  began  to  travel  as  a  journeyman,  whereby  I  came  in  contact 
with  other  journeymen  and  was  compelled  to  mix  with  many 
a  frivolous  company.  As  a  result  I  lost  my  pious  simplicity 
and,  I  must  confess  it  to  my  shame,  that  I  became  pretty  reck- 
less, so  that  I  loved  best  to  be  with  the  wildest  crowd.  This 
continued  for  about  three  years,  when  my  dear  Saviour  began 
to  convict  me  in  my  heart  in  such  a  manner,  that  often  in  the 
gayest  company  I  felt  alarm;  and  his  disciplinary  grace 
wrought  in  me  so  mightily,  that,  when  I  returned  home  at 
night  everything  that  I  had  done  wrong  during  the  day  came 
up  before  me.  Then  I  would  often  shed  many  tears  and 
promise  to  do  better,  without  realizing  that  I  could  not  do  this 
in  my  own  strength,  till  at  length,  through  the  Saviour's  grace, 
I  remembered  his  words :  'Without  me  ye  can  do  nothing'.^ 
Then  I  began  with  tears  to  pray  that  He  might  have  mercy 
on  me,  and  forgive  me  all  my  sins,  and  I  vowed  to  change 
my  life.  I  sought  to  withdraw  more  and  more  from  my  worldly 
companions,  but  I  was  often  compelled  to  associate  with  them 
because  of  my  trade. 

''In  1714,  I  allowed  my  friends  to  persuade  me  to  set  up 
my  trade  in  Heidelberg,  and  in  171 5,  I  married  my  dear,  sainted 

"'The  "Bergstrasse"  is  the  old  Roman  road  which  runs  at  the 
foot  of  the  Odenwald,  along  the  Rhine  valley,  beginning  south  of 
Darmstadt  and  running  down  to  Heidelberg,  a  distance  of  52  km.  It 
passes  through  Weinheim. 


OPPONENTS  IN  UNION  117 

^jfg  143a  ^y]-,Q  i„  1758,  on  February  7th,  passed  to  her  Saviour, 
here  in  Bethlehem.  In  our  union,  which  lasted  forty-three 
years,  God  gave  us  nine  children,  of  whom  five  daughters  are 
yet  living.  These  had  thirty-eight  grandchildren,  of  whom 
seven  passed  to  the  Saviour,  and  sixteen  great-grandchildren. 
It  is  my  wish  and  prayer  that  they  may  all  grow  up  for  the 
dear  Saviour  and  not  one  of  them  be  lost. 

"In  1717, 1  moved  from  Heidelberg  to  Franckenthal,  where 
I  resided  nine  years,  until  in  1726  I  removed,  with  my  wife  and 
three  children,  to  Pennsylvania.  I  lived  nearly  twenty  years 
in  Genr.antown.  In  1738  I  became  acquainted  with  the  dear 
Brother  Joseph  [Spangenberg],  when  he  resided  with  Wiegner 
in  Skippack,  which  place  we  went  to  visit  once  every  four 
weeks.  The  sainted  brother  Antes,  Stiefel,  John  Adam  Gruber, 
myself  and  others  from  Germantown  enjoyed  many  a  blessed 
hour  together.  In  1742,  when  the  dear  departed  Disciple 
[Count  Zinzendorf]  came  to  Pennsylvania,  I  became  ac- 
quainted with  him  and  other  dear  brethren.  My  heart  felt  at 
once  a  tender  inclination  towards  them  and  I  loA'^ed  them  sin- 
cerely. When  I  heard  the  dear  Disciple  [Zinzendorf]  preach 
for  the  first  time  in  the  church  in  Germantown,  I  felt  in  my 
heart :  'Yes,  this  is  the  pure  and  true  ground  of  salvation, 
Jesus  Christ  and  His  merits  and  sufiferings.  Other  foundation 
can  no  man  lay.  Through  His  death  alone  life  has  been  secured 
to  us.' 

"From  that  time  on  the  [Moravian]  Brethren  were  my 
dearest  companions  in  my  house ;  and  when  hatred  and  bitter- 
ness against  the  sainted  Disciple  and  the  Brethren  began  in 
the  country,  I  also  received  my  honest  share,  for  my  Reformed 
co-religionists  in  Germantown  and  vicinity, — whom  I  had 
served  as  preacher  and  whose  Sunday  services  I  had  held  for 
more  than  sixteen  years  [1727-1744],  in  accordance  with  a  call 
from  them,  and  its  written  confirmation  from  Heidelberg  [Ger- 
many],— now   began  to  give  me   considerable  trouble,   until 

"'"The  name  of  Bechtel's  wife  was  Maria  Appolonia  Marret, 
born  May  14,  1691,  at  Heidelberg,  to  which  city  her  parents  had  fled 
from  Metz.  She  was  survived  by  five  daughters:  (1)  Mary  Agneta 
Bechtel,  born  at  Franckenthal,  September  19,  1719,  was  married  at  Ger- 
mantown, July  5,  1739,  to  Cornelius  Weygandt.  She  died  May  28,  1789. 
(2)  Ann  Margaret  Bechtel,  born  at  Franckenthal,  September  13,  1721, 


118  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

in  the  year  1744,  on  Sunday  the  9th  of  February,  they  put  me 
out  altogether.  The  motto  of  the  Congregation^**  for  the  day 
read: 

'Jerusalem  that  is  above. 

Is  the  mother  of  us  all. 

-There  is  in  east  and  west. 

For  those  that  are  hard  pressed, 

Still  something  that  is  good 

In  our  brotherhood". 
"But  I  did  not  know  this  motto,  until  I  came  to  Bethlehem. 
Then  it  was  certainly  a  true  comfort  to  me.  From  that  time  I 
felt  assured  in  my  heart  that  I  belonged  to  the  [Moravian] 
Congregation.  I  asked  the  Saviour  to  grant  me  this  favor  of 
bringing  me  to  the  congregation.  He  heard  my  prayer  and, 
after  I  had  asked  Brother  Joseph  [Spangenberg]  and  others 
for  it,  I  secured  permission,  in  the  spring  of  1746,  to  remove  to 
the  Congregation  (at  Bethlehem).  This  took  place  to  my  great 
joy  on  September  13th  of  that  year.  Now,  I  thought,  I  shall 
live  for  my  dear  Saviour  alone,  and,  by  His  grace,  I  shall  be 
content  and  so  may  He  keep  me  until  my  end". 

To  this  story  of  his  life,  as  told  by  Bechtel  himself,  we 
may  add  a  few  additional  facts  taken  from  various  sources. 

His  daughter  Margaret,  who  in  1742  married  the  Indian 
missionary,  Gottlob  Buettner,  describes  in  her  autobiography 
how  her  father  first  met  Count  Zinzendorf  :"^'  "On  his  arrival 
at  New  York,  the  Coimt  wrote  to  my  father  to  meet  him  in 

was  married  in  1742  to  Rev.  Gottlob  Buettner,  the  Indian  missionary. 
(3)  Mary  Susan  Bechtel,  born  at  Franckenthal,  was  married  in  May, 
1748,  to  Rev.  John  Levering.  (4)  Maria  Appolonia  Bechtel,  born  at 
Germantown,  June  12,  1733,  was  married  to  Christian  Weber,  at  Beth- 
lehem, and  died  December  27,  1808.  (5)  There  was  another  daughter, 
concerning  whom  nothing  is  known.  See  J.  W.  Jordan,  John  Bechtel, 
Philadelphia,  1895,  pp.  12-15. 

■"This  motto  was  misunderstood  by  Dr.  Harbaugh  (Fathers,  I, 
315).  The  "Loosungen"  were  daily  reading  lessons  of  the  Brethren 
Church,  consisting  of  Scripture  passages,  verses  of  hymns  and  brief 
mottos.  They  are  still  printed  annually.  The  sense,  though  expressed 
obscurely,  seems  to  be  that,  though  the  heavenly  Jerusalem  is  our 
ultimate  home,  meanwhile  the  (Moravian)  Congregation  furnishes  the 
best  place  of  refuge  for  the  persecuted.  This  fitted  Bechtel's  case 
exactly. 

'"  Quoted  by  Reichel,  Memorials,  p.  175,  note  *. 


OK         t 

5)  5     C 


OPPONENTS  IN  UNION  119 

Philadelphia.  Through  fear  of  incurring  the  displeasure  of 
such  of  his  friends  as  had  been  prejudiced  against  the  Count, 
he  hesitated  to  comply  with  his  request.  I  urged  him  to  go,  I 
gave  him  no  rest,  and  as  my  verbal  persuasions  were  of  no 
avail,  I  ran  to  the  pasture,  caught  his  riding-horse  and  brought 
it  saddled  and  bridled  to  the  door.  This  appeal  father  could 
not  resist,  and  from  regard  to  me  he  rode  to  town  to  see  the 
remarkable  man  who  impressed  me  deeply  when  I  saw  him  next 
day  at  our  house,  and  indelibly  so,  when  not  two  weeks  later 
I  heard  him  for  the  first  time  proclaim  the  words  of  eternal 
life." 

The  activity  of  Bechtel  in  the  Union  Synods,  his  ordination 
on  April  ii,  1742  (o.  st.)  by  Bishop  David  Nitschmann,  and 
his  ministry  at  Germantown  have  already  been  described  in  the 
last  chapter. 

In  January,  1746,  a  number  of  people  living  in  German- 
town  requested  the  Congregation  at  Bethlehem  to  open  a 
boarding  school  for  their  children.  The  Union  Synod,  meeting 
at  Bethlehem  January  24-27,  1746,  resolved:  "We  believe  the 
time  has  come  to  open  an  institution  for  the  children  in  Ger- 
mantown and  Philadelphia.  We  also  accept  the  house  of  John 
Bechtel.  which  of  his  own  free  will  he  has  ofifered  to  us  pub- 
licly". When  the  school  was  opened,  in  September,  1746. 
Bechtel  with  his  family  removed  to  Bethlehem.  There  he 
served  the  "Brethren's  Economy''  for  many  years  in  his  trade 
as  turner.  In  December,  1776,  he  began  to  suffer  from  gall- 
stones. He  died  April  16,  1777,  in  the  evening  at  eleven 
o'clock  and  was  buried  in  the  old  Moravian  cemetery  at  Beth- 
lehem on  Sunday,  April  20,  1777. 

JACOB  LISCHY. 

More  important  even  than  the  labors  of  Antes  and  Bechtel 
were  the  efforts  of  Jacob  Lischy  in  behalf  of  the  union  move- 
ment. Indeed  without  his  tireless  journeyings,  popular  ser- 
mons and  printed  defenses  the  movement  would  have  been  a 
total  failure,  at  least  among  the  Reformed  people. 

Jacob  Lischy  was  born  at  Muehlhausen.  then  in  Switzer- 
land, now  in  south-western  Germany.  His  father,  Jacob 
Lischy,  was  born  in  1692  and  died  March  25.  1748.  He  mar- 
ried Anna  Maria  Kilian,  January  17,  17 18,    Jacob,  their  oldest 


120  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

son,  was  born  May  28,  1719."^  A  younger  son,  Paulus,  was 
born  November  23,  1721.  Young  Lischy  was  a  linen  weaver 
by  trade. 

In  a  pamphlet,  published  by  him  in  1748,  Lischy  gives  the 
story  of  his  youth.  He  was  converted,  he  says,  when  fourteen 
years  of  age.  In  his  i6th  and  17th  year  he  began  to  preach 
privately.  When  nineteen  years  of  age  he  visited  Marienborn, 
together  with  a  candidate  of  theology  from  Basle.  He  liked 
it  so  well  that  he  stayed  there  and  at  Herrnhaag,  in  the 
Wetterau,  almost  a  whole  year.  Next  he  visited  Herrnhut,  the 
headquarters  of  the  Moravian  Church,  and  remained  there 
three  quarters  of  a  year.  When  in  the  fall  of  1741  a  colony  of 
emigrants  was  sent  out  to  Pennsylvania,  he  was  one  of  its 


SXfAy. 


SIGNATURE  OF  JACOB  LISCHY. 

members.  In  February,  1742,  the  colonists  were  in  London, 
where  Spangenberg  organized  fifty-seven  of  them  into  a  "Sea 
Congregation",  with  a  chaplain,  stewards,  exhorters,  servitors 
and  nurses.  They  left  London  March  15,  1742,  in  the  "Snow 
Catherine",  which  had  been  bought  by  the  Moravians.  They 
arrived  in  Philadelphia  June  7,  1742.  Twenty-nine  of  the  pas- 
sengers qualified  in  Philadelphia,  by  taking  the  oath  of  al- 
legiance, on  June  8th  (or  May  28,  o.  st.).  Among  them  were 
Jacob  Lischy  and  John  Brandmiller,  both  of  whom  engaged 
later  in  work  among  the  Reformed  people. ^*^ 

During  the  summer  and  fall  of  1742,  Lischy  accompanied 

^**  Although  there  are  two  Jacob  Lischys  mentioned  in  the  church 
records  at  Muhlhausen,  one  born  in  1716,  the  other  in  1719,  there  can 
hardly  be  any  question  that  it  was  the  younger  man  that  came  to  Penn- 
sylvania. Lischy  himself  tells  us  that  he  was  nineteen  years  when  he 
came  to  Marienborn.  There  he  stayed  about  a  year  and  Herrnhut  three- 
quarters  of  a  year.  Thus  in  the  early  spring  of  1741  he  was  22  years. 
This  takes  us  back  to  1719  as  the  year  of  his  birth  and  identifies  him 
■with  the  younger  Jacob  Lischy. 

'"The  story  of  the  experiences  of  this  colony  is  told  at  length 
by  Bishop  Levering,  Bethlehem,  pp.  108-116. 


OPPONENTS  IN  UNION  121 

Zinzendorf  on  several  journeys,  one  of  them  from  July  24- 
August  2,  1742,  was  to  the  Delaware  Indians,  living  beyond 
the  Blue  Mountains,  west  of  the  Delaware  Water  Gap.  Later, 
Lischy  reports,  Zinzendorf  "took  me  along  when  he  traveled 
about  through  the  country  preaching,  and  tried  to  make  me 
acquainted  with  the  Reformed  people.  Thus  he  ofifered  my 
services  to  the  people  in  Berne  township  [Berks  County],  say- 
ing that  I  had  already  preached  in  Switzerland.  Thus  we  came 
to  Philadelphia  and  Bro.  Ludwig  [Zinzendorf]  arranged  that 
I  should  live  with  my  father-in-law  and  from  there  should  go 
out  preaching,  and  make  a  beginning  in  the  church  at  German- 
town,  which  I  did,  and  I  preached  before  his  departure  also 
at  Berne,  where  he  recommended  me.  ...  At  first  I  pur- 
sued the  method  of  an  itinerant  preacher,  preaching  in  houses 
and  barns,  wherever  it  was  appointed  and  thus  I  made  several 
trips  through  the  country. "^*^  September  17,  1742,  Lischy  had 
married  Mary,  second  daughter  of  John  Stephen  Benezet,  mer- 
chant of  Philadelphia.  He  was  ordained  in  January,  1743.  by 
Bishop  David  Nitschmann,  assisted  by  Rev.  Anthony  Seiffert. 
Shortly  after  his  ordination  Lischy  settled  at  Cocalico, 
near  Ephrata,  from  which  place  as  a  center  he  ministered  to 
numerous  Reformed  congregations.  In  a  report,  submitted  to 
Bishop  Spangenberg  in  December,  1744,  he  reported  about 
eighteen  preaching  places,  where  he  had  been  ministering.  They 
included  the  following:  Heidelberg,  Berne,  Blue  Mountains 
and  Tulpehocken  in  Berks  County ;  Hans  Zimmerman's,  Muddy 
Creek,  two  places  in  Cocalio  township,  Warwick,  Donegal, 
Earl  township  and  Kissel  Hill  in  Lancaster  County ;  Quitopa- 
hilla,  Swatara  and  Muhlbach  in  the  present  Lebanon  County, 
Coventry  in  Chester  County,  Goshenhoppen  in  Montgomery 
County  and  York  in  York  County.  Several  of  these  congre- 
gations had  given  Lischy  regular  calls.  Thus  Coventry  in 
Chester  County  called  him  April  10,  1743.  On  May  19,  1743, 
thirty-six  members  at  Coventry  signed  a  constitution  drawn 
up  by  Lischy.  At  Muddy  Creek  four  elders  and  more  than 
forty  members  signed  a  call  to  Lischy  on  Thursday  before 
Easter,   1743.     In  the  constitution,  entered  by  Lischy  in  the 

'**  See    Lischy's    Report    of    December,    1744,    printed    in    the 
Reformed  Church  Review,  Fourth  Series,  Vol.  IX  (1905),  p.  .520. 


122  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

Muddy  Creek  record  occurs  this  significant  statement:  "The 
Holy  Sacraments  shall  be  believed  by  us  and  treated  as  is  pre- 
scribed in  the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  without  in  the  least  adding 
thereto  or  detracting  therefrom." 

But  the  ministry  of  Lischy  among  the  Reformed  congre- 
gations was  not  without  opposition.  People  began  to  suspect 
that  he  was  not  ''echt  reformirt."  In  order  to  defend  his  posi- 
tion he  issued  a  pamphlet  on  March  i,  1743.  entitled:  "Jacob 
Lischy's  a  Reformed  Minister's  Declaration  of  his  Intention, 
addressed  to  his  Reformed  Co-religionists."  That  Lischy  was 
not  the  sole  author  of  this  pamphlet  is  evident  from  his  report 
to  Spangenberg,  in  which  he  states,  referring  to  this  declara- 
tion :  "Brother  Boehler  assisted  me  very  much  and  expressed 
my  views  thoroughly.  Brother  Antes  assisted  in  getting  the  call 
into  proper  order.  At  the  next  conference  it  was  decided  that, 
after  Brother  Boehler  had  corrected  the  manuscript  and  had 
made  a  final  copy  of  it,  it  should  be  printed.  .  .  .  After  it 
was  finished  I  distributed  it  wherever  I  preached.  It  had  the 
desired  eiTect,  because  it  pleased  everybody."  The  pleasure 
was,  however,  not  of  long  duration.  There  was  no  denying  that 
Lischy  occupied  an  ambiguous  position.  In  his  eagerness  to 
appear  as  a  genuine  Reformed  preacher  he  even  went  so  far  as 
to  deny  his  connection  with  his  Moravian  associates,  which  was 
severely  condemned  by  the  latter.  Lischy  himself  pictures  the 
situation  very  clearly  in  his  report  to  Spangenberg.  He 
writes  :^*^ 

"How  I  felt  at  times  I  can  hardly  describe.  I  often  thought 
of  giving  up  the  churches  and  preaching  again  in  the  houses, 
fields  and  woods,  but  the  brethren  would  not  permit  this,  as 
it  would  have  caused  a  premature  separation.  They  often  dis- 
suaded me  from  doing  this,  and  I  was  told  through  Brother 
Boehler,  that,  if  I  did  not  try  to  hold  the  churches,  my  services 
would  be  no  longer  required,  for  they  had  resolved  in  the  con- 
ferences that  we  should  seek  to  sanctify  the  churches.  Hence 
I  gave  full  sway  to  my  friends  to  keep  and  maintain  the 
churches,  which  gave  them  the  more  courage  to  oppose  and  put 
to  shame  our  adversaries.  The  latter,  however,  did  not  rest 
either,  but  furnished  even  stronger  proof  that  I  was  really  a 

'"•See  Reformed  Church  Review.  Vol.  IX  (1905),  p.  525. 


OPPONENTS  IN  UNION  123 

full-fledged  Herrnhuter  and  even  the  chief  of  them.  They 
also  called  upon  the  Rev.  Mr,  Boehm  to  help  them,  who  con- 
firn:ed  and  strengthened  them  in  their  opinion  by  his  book 
directed  against  me.  Finally,  when  they  attempted  to  call  my 
ordination  in  question  and  my  calls  to  the  congregations,  I  was 
compelled  to  convene  a  large  council  of  elders.  I  preached 
once  more  in  my  congregations  and  invited  them  to  assemble  on 
August  29,  1743,  at  Heidelberg,  where  of  twelve  or  more  con- 
gregations about  fifty  elders  and  deacons  appeared."  After 
preaching  a  sermon  Lischy  gave  them  a  frank  recital  of  his 
past  life,  explaining  freely  his  connection  with  the  Moravian 
Brethren  in  Germany,  his  coming  to  Pennsylvania,  his  ordina- 
tion by  Bishop  Nitschmann  and  his  efforts  to  serve  them.  Then 
he  asked  them  whether,  in  view  of  his  past  record,  they  wished 
to  renew  their  call  to  him.  They  were  all  ready  to  do  so. 
This  call,  with  a  further  statement,  signed  by  eight  elders,  was 
printed  as  a  broadside. 

Lischy  came  into  collision  with  Boehm  at  Tulpehocken 
and  at  Goshenhoppen.  At  the  former  place  Lischy  offered  to 
preach,  but  before  he  could  do  so  his  connection  with  the  Mo- 
ravian Brethren  v/as  revealed  and  as  a  result  he  was  refused 
permission.  Even  his  offer  not  to  oppose  the  ministry  of 
Boehm  could  not  gain  him  admission.  At  Goshenhoppen, 
Lischy  preached  in  the  spring  of  1744.  But,  when  Boehm 
remonstrated  with  the  elders  there,  they  expressed  regret  at 
having  allowed  him  to  come  in.  Boehm  convinced  them  that 
Lischy  was  a  Moravian  by  showing  them  his  Moravian  hymn 
book  with  his  autograph  in  it. 

In  the  fall  of  1744,  Lischy  crossed  the  Susquehanna  and 
went  into  York  County.  In  the  town  of  York  he  found  a 
large  Reformed  church  and  "a  still  larger  congregation  of  at 
least  300  souls".  A  call  was  sent  to  him,  signed  by  two  elders, 
George  Meyer  and  Philip  Rothrock,  on  August  12,  1744. 
After  he  had  declined  the  call,  it  was  renewed  by  the  whole 
congregation  May  24,  1745.  This  second  call  was  accepted  by 
Lischy  and  he  preached  his  introductory  sermon  in  York  from 
Ezek.  2:1-7.  B'Jt'  before  he  was  allowed  to  settle  at  York  and 
Kreutz  Creek  as  the  regular  pastor  of  these  congregations,  he 
had  to  pass  through  another  trial,  which  was  meant  to  deter- 
mine his  exact  status.    This  time  the  Moravian  authorities  in- 


124  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

sisted  upon  finding  out  exactly  where  he  stood.  Hence,  on 
March  20-21,  1745,  a  second  church  council  of  the  Reformed 
congregations  was  held  at  Aluddy  Creek,  attended  by  sixty 
elders  of  twelve  different  congregations.  "Lischy  was  asked 
whether  he  was  a  Herrnhuter.  At  first  he  evaded  the  ques- 
tion, 'carrying  the  church  around  the  village',  as  Henry  Antes 
expressed  it.  Being  more  closely  questioned  by  the  other  Re- 
formed ministering  brethren,  C.  H.  Ranch,  Bechtel  and  Antes, 
he  publicly  avowed  that  he  was  in  connection  with  the  Brethren 
at  Bethlehem". ^^^  With  this  statement  they  were  apparently 
satisfied  for  the  time  being. 

In  February,  1745,  Rev.  Christian  Henry  Ranch  was  as- 
sociated with  Lischy  to  assist  him  in  preaching  to  the  country 
congregations.  A  diary  of  Ranch  from  February  5-26,  1745,  is 
still  in  existence,  also  diaries  of  Lischy  from  February  23-May 
28,  1745,  and  again  from  August  13-September  8,  1745.  To- 
gether they  visited  and  preached  at  Muddy  Creek,  Berne, 
Heidelberg,  Schwartzwald,  Tulpehocken,  Swatara,  Quito- 
pahilla,  Donegal,  Warwick.  Nicolaus  Kissel's  (near  Lancaster), 
Earl  township,  Coventry,  Goshenhoppen,  York,  Kreutz  Creek 
and  Bermudian.  As  soon  as  Lischy  had  settled  at  York,  his 
work  as  itinerant  missionary  was  taken  up  by  Ranch  and 
Brandmiller. 

The  authorities  at  Bethlehem  looked  with  increasing  dis- 
satisfaction upon  the  work  of  Lischy.  But  it  was  not  till  1747 
that  he  broke  openly  with  them.  On  January  10,  1747.  he  sent 
a  letter  to  Spangenberg,  expressing  his  regret  at  not  being  able 
to  be  present  at  the  Synod  to  be  held  in  Bethlehem  on  January 
15th.  On  April  22,  1747,  Lischy  came  to  Bethlehem  with  his 
wife  for  a  visit.  Three  papers  had  been  handed  to  him  by 
Rauch,  one  of  which  he  was  asked  to  sign.  The  first  declared 
that  he  wished  to  be  regarded  as  a  member  of  the  Moravian 
Church,  the  second,  that  he  wished  to  be  a  Reformed  pastor 
under  the  Reformed  Consistory  of  the  Brethren,  the  third, 
that  he  wanted  to  be  an  independent  Reformed  minister.  Lischy 
hesitated  for  a  long  time  to  make  a  decision.  But  a  Synod, 
held  at  Germantown  May  10-14.  I747.  insisted  upon  it.  A 
special  conference  was  held  with  him  May  25th,  to  help  him  to 

""See  Reichel,  Early  History,  p.  191. 


OPPONENTS  IN  UNION  125 

decide.  No  final  conclusion  was  reached,  however,  until  he 
met  Schlatter  on  June  26,  1747,  who  agreed  to  write  in  his 
behalf  to  the  synods  of  Holland.  Then  Lischy  decided  for 
the  third  alternative. 

His  case  came  up  before  the  first  meeting  of  the  Reformed 
Coetus,  in  September,  1747,  for  investigation.  At  the  second 
meeting,  in  September,  1748,  he  was  asked  to  hand  in  his  con- 
fession of  faith,  which  he  did  October  26,  1748.^^^  About  the 
same  time  he  wrote  the  "Second  Declaration  of  his  Intention", 
printed  by  Saur  in  1748,  by  which  he  publicly  defended  his 
separation  from  the  Moravian  Church. 

There  is  no  more  beautiful  testimony  to  the  unselfishness 
and  generosity  of  Mr.  Boehm  than  his  reconciliation  with 
Lischy  and  his  touching  reference  to  him  in  his  last  letters. 
In  one  of  them,  written  November  21,  1748,  Boehm  refers  to 
him  as  follows :  "As  for  my  part,  I  have  good  hope  that  he 
will  be  in  future  a  faithful  laborer  in  our  true  Church.  May 
God,  the  only  searcher  of  hearts,  give  him  His  blessing". 

CHRISTIAN    HENRY   RAUCH. 

Perhaps  the  ablest  worker  in  the  union  movement  of  Zin- 
zendorf  was  Christian  Henry  Ranch.  From  an  autobiography, 
preserved  in  the  Moravian  archives  at  Bethlehem,  we  learn 
the  main  facts  of  his  life. 

He  was  born  July  5,  1718,  at  Bernburg,  in  the  County  of 
Anhalt,  Germany.  Even  in  his  tender  youth  he  experienced 
the  influence  of  God's  Spirit  upon  his  heart.  He  was  awakened 
December  31,  1738,  at  Wolgast,  Pomerania.  He  left  there, 
in  June,  1739,  to  visit  the  Moravian  congregation  at  Marien- 
born,  where  he  arrived  August  2,  1739.  He  was  received  as  a 
member  of  the  congregation  September  19,  1739.  A  letter, 
written  by  Spangenberg  from  Pennsylvania  in  November, 
1737,  caused  several  of  the  young  men  at  Marienborn  to  dedi- 
cate themselves  to  the  work  of  missions  among  the  North 
American  Indians.  Among  them  was  also  Ranch.  In  this  let- 
ter Spangenberg  quoted  the  words  of  the  Indian  chief  Shikel- 

"^  A  copy  of  this  confession  was  sent  to  Holland.  It  is  now  at 
The  Hague,  74,  I,  51.  An  English  translation  was  published  by  Dr. 
Good  in  the  Christian  World  of  December  17,  1898. 


126  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

limy,  which  he  addressed  to  Conrad  Weiser  on  a  trying  journey 
to  Onondaga.  The  Indian  had  said  to  him  :^"  "My  dear 
companion,  thou  hast  hitherto  encouraged  us ;  wilt  thou  now 
quite  give  up?  Remember  that  evil  days  are  better  than  good 
days,  for  when  we  suffer  much  we  do  not  sin  ;  sin  will  be  driz'en 
out  by  suffering,  and  God  cannot  extend  His  mercy  to  the 
former;  but  contrary-wise,  when  it  goeth  evil  with  us,  God  has 
compassion  on  us." 

Through  these  remarkable  words  Rauch  felt  his  call  to 
be  a  missionary  to  the  Indians.  "On  the  8th  of  November, 
1739".  he  says,  "I  received  the  Word  of  the  Lord  to  be  the 
witness  of  His  passion  and  death  among  the  Indians  in  North 
America.  On  the  14th  of  November  I  was  commissioned  to 
this  work,  and  on  the  31st  of  December  I  began  my  journey 
from  ]\Tarienborn  to  New  York."  On  January  10,  1740,  he 
reached  Herrendyk  in  Holland,  where  he  stayed  ten  weeks.  He 
reached  London  April  5th  and  embarked  for  New  York  May 
5th  with  Captain  Bryant.  He  arrived  safely  at  New  York  July 
2 1  St.  On  August  5th  he  spoke  for  the  first  time  with  two  Mo- 
hicans, who  invited  him  to  visit  them.  On  August  29th,  he 
arrived  at  Shekomeko,  his  destination.  As  a  welcome  he  was  al- 
most beaten  by  the  Indians,  who  were  all  drunk  and  acted  as 
maniacs.  But  he  was  not  intimidated.^^^  He  set  at  once  to 
work  to  learn  their  language  with  such  good  results  that  he  was 
able  to  deliver  the  first  sermon  to  them  in  their  own  tongue  on 
Good  Friday  of  1741.  In  January.  1742,  at  the  invitation  of 
Zinzendorf,  Rauch  visited  Philadelphia  with  the  first  three,  con- 
verted Indians.  In  February  they  went  to  Oley  to  attend  the 
third  Union  Synod.  There  Rauch  was  ordained,  and.  on  the 
same  day,  February  22.  1742,  the  three  Indians  were  baptized 
and  named  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob.  A  fourth  Indian  was 
baptized  John,  in  April  at  Shekomeko,  and  five  others,  men  as 

'"Quoted  by  Reichel,  Memorials,  p.  90,  note. 

"'G.  H.  Loskiel  in  his  Geschichte  der  Mission  der  evangelischen 
Bruedcr  untcr  den  Indianern  in  Nordamerika.  Barby,  1789,  p.  225f. 
(English  edition,  London,  1794,  part  II,  p.  13),  tells  the  story  that 
Rauch,  on  his  arrival  went  into  the  hut  of  the  worst  savage  of  the 
whole  clan,  Jschoop,  seated  himself  at  his  side,  told  him  of  the  Saviour, 
and  then,  saying  that  he  was  tired  in  consequence  of  the  long  journey, 
lay  down  at  the  fire  and  fell  asleep.  This  single  act  of  trust  made  a 
deep  impression  upon  the  Indian  and  won  his  confidence. 


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OPPONENTS  IN  UNION  127 

well  as  women,  in  the  presence  of  Zinzendorf  and  his  party 
August  II,  1742.  Rauch  married  Anna  Robins  on  December 
13,  1742,  when  Zinzendorf  officiated.  Together  they  continued 
the  work  among  the  Indians.  In  1744  serious  persecutions  of 
the  missionary  began  in  Shekomeko,  instigated  by  white  people. 
December  15,  1744,  the  sheriff  and  three  constables  arrested 
Rauch  and  forbad  him  to  continue  his  work  among  the  In- 
dians.^^^*  As  a  result  Rauch  was  recalled  to  Bethlehem.  In  Feb- 
ruary, 1745,  he  began  his  work  among  the  Reformed  congre- 
gations, assisting  or  rather  supervising  the  work  of  Lischy. 
When  Lischy  retired  beyond  the  Susquehanna  and  accepted  a 
call  to  York,  Rauch  took  up  his  itinerant  preaching.  Extensive 
diaries,  covering  his  journeys  from  February  6-November  14, 
1746,  and  from  January  23- June  30,  1747,  are  still  in  existence, 
testifying  to  his  whole-hearted  devotion  to  his  work.  He  sup- 
plied sixteen  preaching  places.  In  August,  1749,  he  accepted 
a  call  to  the  Moravian  congregation  at  Warwick,  now  Lititz, 
in  Lancaster  county.  He  served  this  and  neighboring  congre- 
gations till  1753.  Then  he  became  pastor  of  the  Moravian  con- 
gregation at  Salem,  N.  C,  from  1755- 1756.  Towards  the  end 
of  the  latter  year  he  went  to  Jamaica,  to  minister  to  the  negroes 
on  that  island.  In  this  work  he  continued  till  his  death,  which 
took  place  November  11,  1763.  His  work  among  the  Reformed 
congregations  was  confined  to  the  years  1745- 1747. 

JOHN   BRANDMILLER. 

Another  itinerant  minister  visiting  Reformed  congrega- 
tions under  the  auspices  of  the  Congregation  of  God  in  the 
Spirit  was  John  Brandmiller.  The  facts  of  his  life  are  re- 
corded briefly  in  his  own  autobiography,  preserved  in  the 
achives  at  Bethlehem. 

John  Brandmiller  (Brandmiiller)  was  born  at  Basle, 
Switzerland,  November  24,  1704.  His  father,  of  like  name, 
was  bookkeeper  there.  Young  John  was  confirmed  and  went 
to  communion  for  the  first  time  in  his  thirteenth  year.  Shortly 
afterwards  he  was  put  under  the  care  of  an  uncle  to  learn 

"^'"'  In  1859,  a  monument  was  erected  to  Ranch  and  Buettner  at 
Shekomeko,  N.  Y.,  by  the  Moravian  Historical  Society,  to  com- 
memorate their  labors.  The  monument  was  placed  over  the  tomb  of 
Buettner. 


128  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

the  printing  business.  Being  of  a  restless  disposition  he  ran 
away  and  went  to  Holland.  There  he  engaged  his  services 
to  a  German  baron,  who  intended  to  travel  to  Turkey,  but  at 
Treves  the  baron  found  a  servant  who  suited  him  better  and 
as  a  result  young  Brandmiller  was  dismissed.  Then  he  made 
up  his  mind  to  return  home.  On  the  way,  in  Lorraine,  he  fell 
in  with  some  Swiss  officers,  serving  in  the  French  army.  They 
persuaded  him  to  enlist  as  a  soldier.  After  six  weeks  his  com- 
pany was  stationed  near  a  swamp,  where  many  fell  sick  and 
died.  Brandmiller  also  contracted  the  fever  and  came  near 
death,  but  after  some  time  recovered  slowly.  One  day  his 
captain  handed  him  a  letter  from  his  father.  After  reading 
it  he  resolved  to  ask  permission  to  come  home.  His  father  soon 
secured  his  release  and  he  returned  home,  where  he  was  re- 
ceived with  open  arms.  Then  he  completed  his  apprenticeship 
as  printer  with  his  uncle.  In  March,  1735,  he  married  Anna 
Maria  Burkhard.  Their  union  was  blessed  with  three  children, 
two  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  Having  become  acquainted  with 
the  Moravians,  he  moved  to  Marienborn  and  in  the  year  1739 
to  Herrnhaag.  In  1741  he  went  with  the  "First  Sea  Congrega- 
tion" to  Pennsylvania,  arriving  in  Philadelphia  June  7,  1742. 
After  a  stay  of  six  months  he  returned  to  Germany  to  fetch  his 
wife,  whom  he  had  left  in  the  Wetterau.  He  stayed  at  Herrn- 
haag, near  Frankfort-on-the-Main,  till  the  "Second  Sea  Con- 
gregation" was  ready  to  leave  in  May,  1743.  They  sailed  in 
the  Moravian  ship  "Little  Strength",  leaving  Cowes  Septem- 
ber 27th  and  arriving  at  New  York  November  26,  1743. 

Brandmiller  settled  first  at  Bethlehem,  acting  there  as 
steward  or  deacon  of  the  congregation,  till  the  spring  of  1745, 
when  he  was  sent  out  as  an  itinerant  missionary  to  the  Re- 
formed people.  On  April  8,  1745,  he  left  Bethlehem.  He 
preached  his  first  sermon  at  Nicolaus  Kissel's,  near  Lancaster 
on  April  12th.  His  circuit  included  Warwick,  Kissel's,  Done- 
gal and  Coventry.  On  April  28th,  while  crossing  the  Schuyl- 
kill in  a  canoe,  it  capsized,  so  that  he  nearly  lost  his  life.  On 
May  2nd  (or  May  13,  n.  st.)  he  was  ordained  in  Philadelphia. 
In  September,  1745,  Brandmiller  was  sent  to  Swatara  and 
Donegal  to  supply  these  and  neighboring  congregations.  His 
diaries  from  September  1-24,  1745,  and  from  October  26,  1745- 
January  11,  1746,  describing  his  missionary  activity,  are  still 


OPPONENTS  IN  UNION  129 

extant. 

In  January  and  February,  1747,  and  again  in  March  and 
April,  1748,  Brandmiller  visited  the  Walloons  at  Esopus  and 
New  Paltz  in  the  State  of  New  York.  From  October  12- 
December  24,  1749,  he  made  a  visit  with  Leonard  Schnell  to 
the  Germans  in  Virginia.  In  1759  he  removed  with  his  wife 
to  Friedensthal,  where  he  served  for  eight  and  a  half  years  as 
a  reader.  In  1768  he  returned  to  Bethlehem.  During  the  later 
part  of  his  life  Brandmiller  acted  repeatedly  as  printer  of  the 
Moravian  Church.  Thus  between  1760-1763  he  printed  the 
Harmony  of  the  Gospels,  and  a  hymn  book,  translated  into  the 
language  of  the  Delaware  Indians,  by  the  Rev.  Bernard  A. 
Grube,  and  in  1767  Tdgliche  Loosungen,  i.e.,  "The  Daily  Read- 
ing Lessons"  of  the  Congregation.^^* 

Brandmiller  died  at  Bethlehem  August  16,  1777,  drowning 
accidentally  in  a  mill-race.  The  diarist  at  Bethlehem  states 
that  the  previous  day  had  been  hot  and  sultry.  Brandmiller 
had  complained  about  dizziness.  He  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
going  down  to  the  water  to  bathe  his  face.  While  doing  this 
he  was  overtaken  by  vertigo  and  fell  into  the  water. 

DAVID    BRUCE. 

The  last  of  the  Reformed  itinerant  preachers,  of  whom  a 
diary  has  come  down  to  us,  is  David  Bruce. ^^^  He  was  born  in 
Edinburgh,  Scotland.  He  was  a  Scotch  Presbyterian,  a  car- 
penter by  trade,  who  joined  the  Moravians  in  England.  When 
Zinzendorf  came  to  America,  in  December,  1741,  Bruce  ac- 
companied him.  He  became  the  first  English  speaking  mis- 
sionary of  the  Moravian  Church  in  America.  He  married 
Judith,  the  oldest  daughter  of  John  Stephen  Benezet,  a  promi- 
nent merchant  in  Philadelphia,  July  10,  1742.     (Jacob  Lischy 

"*  See  Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  History  and  Biography,  Vol. 
VI,  p.  249f.  The  "Harmony  of  the  Gospels"  was  a  manual  used 
by  the  Moravian  Church  during  passion  week.  They  were  printed  at 
Friedensthal,  to  which  place  type  had  been  sent  from  Europe. 

"'For  Bruce's  life  see  Levering,  Bethlehem,  p.  73,  note;  Reichel, 
Memorials,  p.  24;  Reincke,  Register  of  the  Members  of  the  Morainan 
Church,  p.  78 ;  Memorial  of  the  Dedication  of  Monuments  erected  by 
the  Moravian  Hist.  Soc;  Philadelphia,  1860,  pp.  161-168.  The  writer 
also  used  personal  notes  communicated  by  Dr.  J.  W.  Jordan. 


130  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

married  another  daughter).  Bruce  accompanied  Zinzendorf 
on  his  first  visit  to  the  Indian  country.  He  also  assisted  in 
the  ministry  at  Bethlehem,  Nazareth,  Philadelphia  and  Dans- 
bury  (Stroudsburg),  and  in  the  Indian  mission  among  the 
Delawares  in  Pennsylvania.  In  the  beginning  of  1743  he  was 
in  Philadelphia,  where  the  Moravian  parsonage,  at  the  south- 
east corner  of  Race  and  Broad  streets,  constituted  the  head- 
quarters for  four  or  five  itinerant  evangelists  and  their  families. 
Bruce  took  his  turn  regularly  in  preaching  the  Gospel  in  the 
city,  and  at  a  number  of  stations  in  the  surrounding  country. 
He  was  engaged  in  this  work  until  the  end  of  the  year  1744, 
when  he  returned  to  Bethlehem.  From  there  as  a  center  he 
continued  to  itinerate  sometimes  among  the  Indians  and  again 
among  English  and  German  settlers  in  eastern  Pennsylvania. 
From  June  to  August,  1745,  he  itinerated  among  the  Reformed 
congregations,  chiefly  in  Lancaster  County.  But  he  preached 
also  occasionally  at  Coventry  in  Chester  County,  at  Tulpe- 
hocken,  Swatara  and  Quitopahilla.  A  diary,  describing  this 
work,  in  somewhat  awkward  German,  is  still  in  existence.  In 
1746  he  visited  the  English  settlers,  chiefly  Scotch,  in  Lancaster 
and  Bucks  counties.  In  January,  1749,  he  was  sent  to  the 
Indian  mission  at  Wechquadnach,  Dutchess  County,  New  York, 
There  he  was  quite  successful  as  a  missionary  and  was  visited 
by  Bishops  Watteville  and  Cammerhoflf.  The  former  wrote  of 
him:  "In  the  last  years  of  his  life  Brother  Bruce  found  his 
proper  sphere  among  the  Indians."  He  died  there  after  a 
short  illness  July  9,  1749,  greatly  mourned  by  the  converts  who 
were  warmly  attached  to  him.  In  1859,  the  Moravian  Histori- 
cal Society  erected  a  monument,  jointly  to  his  memory  and 
that  of  Joseph  Powell,  who  died  in  1774,  while  laboring  as 
evangelist  among  the  white  settlers  of  the  Dutchess  County, 
N.  Y.  The  monument  stands  in  what  is  now  the  town  of 
Sharon,  in  Litchfield  County,  Connecticut.  Bruce  had  one 
son  who  lived  to  maturity.  His  widow  married  later  Dr.  John 
F.  Otto  of  Bethlehem. 

It  was  through  these  and  other  missionaries  that  the 
Union  Movement  of  Zinzendorf  flourished  from  1745-1748. 
But  after  the  Reformed  churches  of  Pennsylvania  had  been 
organized  into  a  Coetus  in  1747,  and  the  Lutheran  churches 
into  a  Alinisterium  in  1748,  the  twenty-seventh  Pennsylvania 


OPPONENTS  IN  UNION  101 

Synod  resolved  itself  into  the  First  Synod  of  the  Moravian 
Church  in  America,  convened  at  Bethlehem  in  October,  1748.^^^" 

i"a  For  a  study  of  the  Union  Movement  of  Count  Zinzendorf  the 
following  printed  sources  may  be  consulted:  (1)  MORAVIAN:  The 
Minutes  of  the  Pennsylvania  Synods,  the  first  of  which  bears  the  fol- 
lowing title:  Authcntische  Relation  von  dem  Anlass,  Fortgang  iind 
Scblusse  der  am  isten  tind  2ten  Jantiarii,  Anno  1741J2,  in  Gerinantown 
gelialtenen  Versammlung  einiger  Arbeiter  Derer  meisten  Christlichen 
Religionen  und  vieler  vor  sich  selbst  Gott-dienenden  Christen-M enschen 
in  Pennsylvania;  Aufgesetzt  in  Germantown  am  Abend  des  2ten  obigen 
Monats.  Philadelphia,  Gedruckt  und  zu  haben  bey  B.  Franklin.  The 
minutes  of  the  first  seven  Union  Synods  were  printed  by  Franklin  in 

1742,  the  rest,  from  1745-1748,  are  in  Ms.  in  the  archives  at  Bethle'hem. 
Zinzendorf,  Die  Biidingische  Sammlung  einiger  in  die  Kirchen  Historie 
einschlagender  sonderlich  neuen  Schriften.  3  vols.  Biidingen,  1742- 
1745 ;  Zinzendorf,  P ennsylvanische  Nachrichten  vom  Reiche  Christi, 
1742;  Zinzendorf,  NatureUe  Reflexiones  iiher  allerhand  Materien,  1749; 
Spangenberg,  A.  G.  Leben  des  Herrn  Nicolaus  Ludwig,  Graf  en  und 
Herren  von  Zinzendorf  und  Pottendorf,  8  Theile  in  3  Bande,  Barby, 
1772-1775.  Also  the  Catechism  edited  by  Bechtel  and  Zinzendorf's 
answer  to  Boehm's  book,  edited  by  Neisser,  above  referred  to.  (2) 
LUTHERAN :    Heinrich  Melchior  Muhlenberg,  Selbsthiographie,  1711- 

1743,  herausgegeben  von  Dr.  W.  Germann,  Allentown,  1881;  HaUesche 
Nachrichten,  new  edition,  2  vols.  Allentown,  1886-1895.  (3)  RE- 
FORMED: The  writings  of  John  Philip  Boehm  of  the  years  1742-1743; 
the  booklet  of  Guldin,  published  in  1743,  as  well  as  the  reports  and 
pamphlets  of  Jacob  Lischy,  referred  to  above.  (4)  SECTARIAN: 
John  Adam  Gruber's  AusfUhrliche  Nachricht,  etc.,  printed  in  John 
Philip  Fresenius,  Bewahrte  Nachrichten  von  Herrnhutischen  Sachen, 
Vol.  Ill,  Frankfurt  und  Leipzig,  1748,  pp.  97-236,  with  additional  docu- 
ments, pp.  237-872 ;  see  also  the  polemical  tracts  referred  to  above, 
p.  lOlf. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

boehm's  last  labors. 

The  7th  of  September,  1746,  must  have  been  a  happy  day 
in  the  life  of  Mr.  Boehm.  On  that  day  there  came  to  his 
home  in  Whitpain  township  the  Rev.  Michael  Schlatter  of  St. 
Gall,  Switzerland,  who  had  been  sent  to  Pennsylvania  by  the 
Synods  of  Holland  to  organize  the  Reformed  congregations  of 
the  province  into  a  permanent  religious  body,  subordinate  to 
the  Church  of  Holland.  Schlatter  in  his  private  diary  describes 
his  first  meeting  with  Boehm  as  follows  :^^® 

"September  7th,  I  traveled  to  the  plantation  of  Do.  Boehm 
in  Whitpain  township.  I  found  his  Reverence  busy  in  the  field, 
but  he  went  immediately  with  me  to  his  house  and  showed 
me  every  possible  kindness.  He  promised  me  also,  after  having 
heard  my  commission,  to  assist  me  with  word  and  deed.  This 
he  is  doing  now  in  all  sincerity,  according  to  the  best  of  his 
ability." 

Thus  the  earnest  prayers  of  Boehm,  uttered  incessantly  for 
sixteen  years  had  at  last  been  answered,  and  his  faith  had  been 
vindicated.  Hence  he  wrote  full  of  joy  to  the  Classis :  "Now 
we  see  that,  after  the  Lord  has  made  us  to  pass  through  such 
a  severe  trial,  he  will  finally  manifest  His  grace  in  answer  to 
our  continual  prayers  and  will  strongly  incline  the  hearts  of 
our  devout  Church  Fathers  to  us,  poor  members  of  Christ. 
For  you  have  now  sent  to  us  a  man,  brought  from  a  great  dis- 
tance and  with  great  sacrifices  for  the  best  interests  only  and 
the  perfect  establishment  of  our  true  Church."  When  Boehm 
notified  the  synods  of  Schlatter's  arrival,  under  date  December 
12,  1746,  he  wrote  in  a  similar  strain :  "Thereby  my  heart  was 
made  to  rejoice  greatly  and  especially  do  I  give  thanks  unto 
the  merciful  God  that  He  has  finally,  after  much  prayer  and 
many  sighs,  listened  graciously  to  me,  poor  burden-bearer,  and 
allowed  me  to  see  such  an  effectual  instrument  and  kind  brother 

"'  See  Journal  of  Presb.  Hist.  Soc,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  107. 


..^^^^tJ^^eu/cX^i^T^ 


LAST   LABORS  133 

and  fellow-worker  in  Plis  holy  service".  Through  Schlatter's 
coming  Boehm  realized  that  his  long  struggle  and  trying  labors 
had  not  been  in  vain.  The  results  of  his  labors  were  now 
made  effective  through  a  permanent  organization. 

As  the  congregations  were  too  weak  to  support  each  sepa- 
rately a  pastor,  the  first  step  which  Schlatter  took  was  to  visit 
the  various  congregations  in  order  to  secure  from  each  a 
pledge  as  to  how  much  it  was  able  to  contribute  to  a  minister's 
salary.  On  the  basis  of  these  pledges  he  united  two  or  more 
neighboring  congregations  into  separate  pastoral  charges,  each 
of  which  was  promised  a  pastor  as  soon  as  they  could  be  se- 
cured from  Europe.  In  this  work  of  visitation  Boehm  assisted 
Schlatter  faithfully.  Boehm's  attitude  towards  Schlatter's 
work  is  clearly  seen  in  his  report:  "Do.  Slatter  entered  upon 
this  work  with  earnestness  and  soon  traveled  from  place  to 
place  as  much  as  time  would  permit.  To  some  of  these  places 
I  accompanied  his  Reverence".  Thus,  e.g.,  Boehm  preceded 
Schlatter  to  Tulpehocken,  "to  gather  the  two  congregations 
there  together,  on  the  24th  [of  September],  to  preach  a  sermon 
preparatory  to  the  Holy  Supper,  and  to  await  my  arrival  there 
on  the  25th".  On  that  day  the  Lord's  Supper  was  administered 
to  loi  persons,  while  more  than  600  persons,  inside  and  out- 
side the  church,  listened  to  Schlatter's  sermon.  The  congrega- 
tion had  on  that  day  the  unusual  experience  of  seeing  three 
ministers  in  the  pulpit  at  one  time,  "a  circumstance  which  in 
all  their  lives  they  had  not  witnessed  there  before".^" 

Six  years  before,  in  1740,  Boehm  had  sent  an  elaborate 
report  to  Holland,  in  which  he  proposed  to  organize  seventeen 
congregations  into  six  charges.  Meanwhile  the  number  of  Re- 
formed settlers  had  largely  increased.  New  congregations  had 
come  into  existence.  It  was,  therefore,  necessary  to  group  the 
churches  together  differently.  Schlatter  visited  thirty-eight 
congregations  in  Pennsylvania,  which  he  proposed  to  organize 
into  thirteen  charges.  In  this  work  of  reorganization  Schlatter 
frequently  made  use  of  the  helpful  advice  which  Boehm  was 
able  to  give  him. 

After  bringing  together  the  congregations,  the  next  work 
of  Schlatter  was  to  bring  together  the  ministers.     This  was  a 

'"  See  Harbaugh,  Life  of  Schlatter,  p.  134. 


134  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

difficult  task,  as  they  had  antagonized  each  other  for  years, 
and  it  was  not  easy  for  them  to  forget  the  past.  But  at  last 
Schlatter's  efforts  were  crowned  with  success.  They  accepted 
his  invitation  to  meet  at  his  home  in  Philadelphia.  About  this 
conference  Schlatter  reported  to  the  synods  :^^^ 

"October  12th,  [1746],  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  having 
Dom.  Boehm,  Weiss  and  Rieger  come  to  my  house  in  Philadel- 
phia, at  my  request.  Dom.  Dorsius  would  also  undoubtedly  have 
appeared,  if  his  wife  had  not  presented  him  with  a  child  on 
the  very  day  appointed  for  our  conference.  This  was  the  first 
time  that  these  three  ministers,  who  for  many  years  have  been 
in  this  country,  met  together.  The  result  of  this  brotherly 
conference  was  that  not  I  but  the  all  sufficient  God  completely 
united  their  hearts  and  souls  in  my  presence,  without  any 
reservation  or  remaining  difference  and  reconciled  them,  while 
they  shed  many  tears  of  joy". 

Articles  of  peace  were  drawn  up  and  signed  by  the  four 
men  present.  Unfortunately  this  interesting  document  has  not 
been  preserved.  It  probably  never  reached  Holland.  The 
feelings  of  Boehm  at  this  conference  are  well  expressed  by  him 
in  his  letter  to  the  Classis,  dated  November  23,  1746.  He 
writes:  "It  was  indeed  hard  for  me  to  stand  in  official  and 
brotherly  connection  with  men  through  whom  I  had  to  suffer 
so  much  affliction,  to  the  injury  of  my  health  (as  I  have  often 
complained  with  sadness  to  the  godly  Church  Fathers,  with 
ample  proofs  of  my  innocence).  But,  persuaded  by  Do.  Slatter, 
there  took  place  what  Christ  says  Luke  17:4.  Then  I  found 
myself  also  in  duty  bound  to  do  what  our  dear  Saviour  com- 
manded us  to  do.  Thus  it  happened  that  all  that  is  past  was 
thrown  into  the  fire  of  love". 

No  better  evidence  can  be  found  of  the  absolute  unselfish- 
ness and  thorough  consecration  of  Boehm  in  his  work  than  his 
willingness  to  forgive  his  former  enemies  and  to  live  and  labor 
henceforth  with  them  as  his  brethren.  It  was  a  severe  test  of 
his  character  as  a  true  follower  of  Christ,  but  he  came  out  of 
it  triumphant. 

The  preliminary  conference  was  followed,  on  September 
29,  1747,  by  the  definite  organization  of  the  Reformed  churches 

"'See  Journal  of  Presb.  Hist.  Soc,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  116. 


'7    /^-^    ?^7//;c 


^- ) 


'       .///'A 


i 


c/lU^efc  Jr/ifa/Artr  <>•  S)^./^| 


/ 


MINUTES    OF    TIIIC    FIRST    COFTUS,    SEPTEMBER    29,    1/47, 
WRITTEN    BY    BOEHM 


LAST   LABORS  135 

and  ministers.  On  that  d?y  four  ministers  (Schlatter,  Boehm, 
Weiss  and  Rieger)  and  twenty-seven  elders  met  in  the  old 
meeting-  house  in  Philadelphia  and  organized  the  Coetiis  (Con- 
vention) of  the  Reformed  congregations  of  Pennsylvania. 
Mr.  Boehm  was  present  at  this  meeting  with  three  elders, 
representing  the  congregations  of  Falkner  Swamp,  Providence 
and  Whitpain.  He  does  not  appear  as  a  prominent  actor  in  the 
proceedings.  There  is  but  one  action  recorded  of  him  at  this 
meeting.  He  asked  permission  to  use  the  money,  which  he 
had  collected  in  New  York,  for  the  new  church  and  congrega- 
tion which  had  been  started  in  Whitpain  township.  To  this 
request  Coetus  assented  with  the  condition,  that  of  the  forty- 
four  pounds  collected  four  pounds  should  be  handed  over  to 
the  people  of  Skippack,  for  whose  benefit  the  money  had  origi- 
nally been  given. 

Another  fact,  however,  connected  with  the  first  meeting  of 
the  Coetus  is  worthy  of  record.  We  owe  it  to  the  care  and 
thoughtfulness  of  Boehm  that  the  minutes  of  this  first  meeting 
have  been  preserved.  The  original  minutes,  written  by  Schlat- 
ter,^^® have  been  lost.  But  Boehm  made  a  copy  of  the  original 
for  his  own  use,  which  was  found  by  Schlatter  among  Boehm's 
papers  after  his  death  and  was  sent  by  him  to  Holland. 

A  well  deserved  honor,  perhaps  the  only  one  which  he 
received  in  his  ministerial  career,  was  bestowed  upon  Mr. 
Boehm  at  the  second  meeting  of  the  Coetus,  held  in  Philadel- 
phia, September  28-30,  1748.  He  was  elected  president  of  the 
Coetus.  It  was  an  important  session,  at  which  many  far-reach- 
ing actions  were  taken.    The  influence  of  the  president  in  shap- 

"'  It  has  been  stated  repeatedly  that  Boehm  was  the  secretary  at 
the  meeting  of  1747.  That  this  statement  is  incorrect  appears  from  a 
letter  of  Schlatter  to  the  Synods,  dated  April  6,  1750,  in  which  he 
writes:  "The  enclosed  transcript  of  the  first  Coetus  minutes  (taken 
from  the  protocol  book  of  the  Coetus  reposing  in  my  care,  which  is 
a  folio  book  four  fingers  thick  and  into  which  the  Acts  of  each  Coetus 
were  entered  by  my  own  hand)  will  show  that  my  diary  of  1747  and 
1748,  together  with  other  writings  relating  to  Mr.  Lischi,  were  handed 
to  Do.  Boehm,  he  being  at  that  time  president,  to  send  them  to  the 
Reverend  Synods.  After  Do.  Boehm  had  died  about  thirty  miles 
away  from  his  home,  without  leaving  a  will,  I  found  this  transcript 
after  his  death  among  his  papers,  it  having  been  copied  by  his  own 
hand  and  in  his  language." 


136  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

ing  action  can  be  seen  at  every  step. 

In  the  first  place,  through  Boehm's  influence  the  doctrinal 
position  of  the  Church  was  determined.  As  president  he  called 
attention  to  the  fact  that  the  Fathers  in  Holland  expected  the 
members  of  the  Coetus  to  sign  the  Heidelberg  Catechism  and 
the  Canons  of  the  Synod  of  Dort.  As  a  result  a  paper  was 
drawn  up  to  which  all  the  ministers  except  Rieger,  and  one 
elder  from  each  congregation,  affixed  their  signatures,  declar- 
ing their  adherence  to  these  creeds.  That  action  fixed  the 
position  of  the  Coetus  as  a  Calvinistic  body. 

Another  important  action  was  the  adoption  of  a  constitu- 
tion. Here  it  was  again  the  president,  Mr.  Boehm,  who  guided 
the  action.  He  was  successful  in  having  the  Coetus  adopt 
the  constitution  which  he  had  drawn  up  in  1728  for  his  con- 
gregations, and  which  had  been  ratified  by  the  Classis  of 
Amsterdam  in  1729.  Thus  the  instrument  which  held  together 
the  congregations  of  Boehm  for  twenty  years,  became  now  the 
bond  of  union  by  which  all  the  Reformed  churches  were  bound 
together  into  one  religious  body.  It  is  indeed  true  that  this 
constitution  was  largely  a  dead  letter.  In  the  existing  records 
of  the  Coetus  it  is  never  afterwards  referred  to  and  each  con- 
gregation continued  to  have  its  own  congregational  constitu- 
tion. Moreover,  only  a  few  years  later,  in  1753,  e.g.,  cases 
were  decided  in  the  Coetus  according  to  the  Church  Order  of 
the  Synod  of  Dort.  In  1754  copies  of  this  Church  Order  were 
handed  by  Schlatter  to  each  minister""  and  it  is  repeatedly 
referred  to  in  later  transactions  of  the  Coetus.  Nevertheless,  as 
far  as  official  and  recorded  action  is  concerned,  the  constitution 
of  Boehm  was  the  only  constitution  which  the  Coetus  actually 
adopted,  and  to  which  the  Fathers  in  Holland  made  no  objec- 
tion. It  should  also  be  noted  that  the  Church  Order  of  Boehm 
in  its  sixth  article  recognizes  the  Church  Order  of  the 
Synod  of  Dort  as  valid  and  in  force  in  Pennsylvania. 

There  were  also  a  number  of  questions  submitted  to  the 
Coetus,  which  emanated  most  likely  from  the  president.  They 
were  questions  with  whose  solution  Boehm  had  been  wrestling 
for  many  years.  Now  at  last  he  found  an  opportunity  of  having 
them  answered.     The  questions  related  mainly  to  the  conduct 

""  See  Minutes  of  Coetus,  pp.  98,  116. 


LAST  LABORS  137 

of  the  members  of  the  churches.  They  were  forbidden  to  take 
communion  or  to  have  their  children  baptized  in  any  but  their 
own  churches,  exceptions  to  be  made  only  in  special  instances, 
with  the  knowledge  and  consent  of  their  pastor.  This  was  a 
question  to  which  repeated  reference  is  made  in  Boehm's  let- 
ters. Another  question  had  reference  to  the  contributions  to  be 
made  by  the  members.  It  was  resolved  that  no  one  should  be 
considered  a  member  who  did  not  contribute  to  the  mainte- 
nance of  the  church.  This  too  was  a  question  which  had  given 
Boehm  much  trouble.  This  meeting  of  the  Coetus,  therefore, 
put  the  final  stamp  of  approval  upon  Boehm's  life  and  work. 
It  accepted  his  doctrinal  position,  it  adopted  his  constitution,  it 
solved  the  problems  with  which  he  had  struggled.  It  made  him 
its  leader  and  as  president  of  the  Coetus  he  died. 

As  president  of  the  Coetus,  Boehm  was  also  instructed  to 
have  the  minutes  of  the  Coetus  and  the  Constitution  published. 
They  were  printed  in  1748  by  Gotthard  Armbriester  of  Phila- 
delphia, with  an  introduction  written  by  Boehm.  This  pamph- 
let has  become  one  of  the  scarcest  of  Philadelphia  imprints, 
only  two  copies  being  known  to  be  in  existence. 

Mr.  Boehm  had  now  come  to  the  end  of  his  long  and  use- 
ful career.  His  work  had  been  completed.  He  had  piloted  the 
church  safely  from  chaos  to  order,  from  strife  to  harmony.  He 
was  getting  old  and  feeble  and  the  state  of  his  health  compelled 
him  to  hand  over  his  work  to  younger  shoulders. 

The  first  congregation  which  he  surrendered  was  that  of 
Philadelphia.  In  the  postscript  to  his  letter  of  November  23, 
1746,  he  refers  to  the  fact  that  he  had  promised  Schlatter  that 
he  would  hand  the  Philadelphia  congregation  over  to  him.  It 
together  with  Germantown  was  to  be  constituted  one  charge 
with  Schlatter  as  its  pastor.  On  Sunday,  December  7,  1746, 
Boehm  made  a  public  announcement  of  his  own  withdrawal 
and  the  installation  of  Schlatter  as  pastor  of  the  congregation. 
The  latter  took  place  December  21st  and  Schlatter  preached 
his  introductory  sermon  in  Philadelphia,  on  January  i,  1747, 
from  Genesis  32  -.26.  In  order  to  give  Schlatter  an  opportunity 
to  complete  his  visitation  of  Reformed  churches,  Boehm  con- 
sented to  continue  his  monthly  visits  to  Philadelphia  for  six 
months  longer. 

Two  other  congregations,  which   Boehm   found  increas- 


138  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

ingly  difficult  to  supply  were  Falkner  Swamp  and  Providence. 
With  a  view  to  being  relieved  of  preaching  at  these  places,  he 
allowed  Schlatter  to  combine  them  into  one  charge  with  the 
understanding  of  having  them  supplied  by  one  of  the  new 
ministers,  who  was  expected  from  Holland.  On  October  26, 
1746,  when  Schlatter  returned  from  his  first  journey,  he  stopped 
at  Boehm's  home  over  night.  It  was  then  that  Boehm  told 
him  of  his  plans  for  the  future.  He  proposed  that,  as  there 
was  no  Reformed  congregation  between  Old  Goshenhoppen 
and  Germantown,  a  distance  of  twenty-four  miles,  and  as  he 
lived  almost  in  the  center  between  these  places,  that  a  new  con- 
gregation be  organized  near  his  home,  in  Whitpain  township. 
Schlatter  readily  consented  to  that  proposal  and  organized  the 
new  congregation  for  Boehm  on  February  3,  1747.  It  is  called 
Witpen  (Whitpain)  in  the  early  records.  By  February,  1747, 
a  small  stone  church  had  been  built,  but  as  they  were  able  to 
pay  their  pastor  only  ten  pounds  as  salary,  Schlatter  proposed 
to  connect  it  with  Skippack,  Indianfield  and  Tohickon.  This 
intention  was,  however,  never  carried  out.  Having  now  a 
congregation  near  his  home,  Boehm  was  anxiously  waiting  for 
the  arrival  of  a  new  minister,  who  might  take  over  Falkner 
Swamp  and  Providence.  He  was,  therefore,  much  rejoiced 
when,  on  August  17,  1748,  Schlatter  brought  two  new  ministers 
to  his  home  who  had  just  arrived  from  Holland,  Dominicus 
Bartholomaeus  and  John  Jacob  Hochreutner.  Shortly  after 
their  arrival,  Boehm  reported  to  the  Classis:  "I  would  have 
liked  to  see  one  of  them  relieve  me  of  my  long  journey  to 
Falkner  Swamp  and  Providence,  for  which  there  was  some 
prospect,  but  it  was  represented  to  me,  whether  I  would  not 
prefer  seeing  the  shepherdless  congregations,  which  had  no 
ministers,  helped  first  of  all,  afterwards  I  might  be  relieved.  I 
should  not  begrudge  them  this  blessing  and  have  a  little 
patience."  Such  a  touching  appeal  could  not  be  disregarded 
by  Boehm.  He  was  at  once  willing  to  "continue  working  under 
the  yoke  which  he  had  borne  so  long." 

His  hopes  were,  however,  realized  when,  on  September  15, 
1748,  Rev.  John  Philip  Leydich  arrived  in  Philadelphia.  When 
Boehm  heard  of  his  arrival  he  went  with  an  elder  to  Philadel- 
phia to  interview  Schlatter.  He  begged  him  that  Leydich  be  ap- 
pointed as  the  regular  pastor  of  Falkner  Swamp  and  Provi- 


LAST   LABORS  139 

dence,  for,  on  account  of  his  advancing  age,  "he  was  no 
longer  able  to  endure  such  wearisome  journeys,  as  it  is  neces- 
sary to  make,  in  order  properly  to  serve  this  field."  Schlatter 
promised  to  do  all  in  his  power  to  provide  for  these  congrega- 
tions. This  promise  was  kept,  for  at  the  Coetus  of  1748  Ley- 
dich  was  assigned  to  Falkner  Swamp  and  Boehm  was  instructed 
to  install  him.  This  installation  took  place  October  16,  1748. 
Coetus  also  commissioned  Boehm  to  install  Bartholomaeus  at 
Tulpehocken,  because  Boehm  had  been  for  many  years  its 
faithful  pastor.  This  commission  was  carried  out  October 
23rd.  Thus  Boehm  had  successfully  transferred  his  work  upon 
younger  shoulders  and  could  now  retire  contentedly  to  his  one 
remaining  congregation.  In  December,  1748,  Boehm  sent  his 
last  letters  to  Holland,  a  long  letter  to  a  Classical  deputy  as  well 
as  the  printed  minutes  of  the  Coetus  to  both  the  Classis  and  the 
Synods.  These  were  his  last  communications  to  the  Fathers 
in  Holland. 


SIGNATURE  OF  JOHN  P.  LEYDICH. 


There  is  only  one  more  official  act  of  Boehm  on  record. 
March  29,  1749,^"  Schlatter  received  letters  from  Macungy  and 
Eg>'pt,  requesting  him  to  come  up  and  administer  the  Lord's 
Supper  to  them.  At  the  request  of  Schlatter,  Boehm  undertook 
to  attend  to  the  wants  of  these  remote  congregations.  On 
April  28th,  Boehm  held  the  Lord's  Supper  at  Egypt.  On  his 
way  home,  he  stopped  at  the  house  of  his  oldest  son  in  Heller- 
town.  There  he  died  unexpectedly  and  suddenly  during  the 
night  of  April  29th.  His  body  was  carried  home  and  he  was 
buried  in  the  Church,  now  called  after  his  name,  in  front  of  the 
pulpit  under  the  altar.  As  no  Reformed  minister  could  be 
secured,   a    Mennonite   preacher   of   Skippack,    Martin    Kolb, 

'"For  this  date  sec  note  103. 


HO  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

preached  the  funeral  sermon."-  Having  fought  against  the 
sects  all  his  life,  Boehm  was  at  last  buried  by  a  sect  preacher ! 

Schlatter  heard  of  Boehm's  death  on  May  2,  1749,  when 
on  a  visit  to  Mr.  Leydich  at  Falkner  Swamp.  Schlatter  had 
intended  to  visit  Mr.  Weiss  at  Goshenhoppen.  but  through  the 
death  of  Mr.  Boehm  he  was  compelled  to  cut  short  his  journey 
and  return  to  Philadelphia.  On  the  4th  of  May,  Schlatter  made 
copies  of  the  writings  previously  placed  in  the  hands  of  Mr. 
Boehm  and  sent  them  by  way  of  England  to  the  Synods  of 
Holland  and  to  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam. 

On  May  7,  1749,  Schlatter  honored  the  memory  of  Boehm 
by  a  memorial  sermon  which  he  preached  at  Germantown,  "not 
without  deep  emotion,  on  the  death  of  Do.  Boehm,  the  oldest 
of  the  German  Reformed  ministers  in  this  country,  who.  during 
the  space  of  many  years,  had  to  serve  various  congregations, 
and  whose  memory  is  blessed  by  many". 

Long  after  Boehm's  death  a  letter  from  the  Classis  of  Am- 
sterdam arrived  for  which  he  had  asked  very  earnestly  in  his 
last  communication  to  the  Classis.  It  was  a  pity  that  he  was 
not  permitted  to  read  it,  but  it  would  hardly  have  satisfied  him, 
for  to  his  definite  requests  only  a  very  general  answer  had 
been  returned. 

When  Schlatter  was  in  Holland  in  1751,  he  performed  an 
act  of  justice.  Upon  his  request,  the  Synod  of  South  Holland, 
meeting  at  Leerdam,  July  6-16,  1751,  resolved  to  reimburse  the 
widow  of  Boehm,  at  least  to  some  extent,  for  the  expenses 
which  he  had  incurred  in  publishing  the  book  against  the  Mo- 
ravians in  1742.  At  the  Coetus  of  1752,  it  was  resolved:  "to 
pay  the  widow  of  Dom.  Boehm  in  the  name  of  the  Synod, 
four  pounds  of  this  country's  money". 

Thus  ends  the  record  of  a  noble  and  unselfish  life,  a  life 
spent  in  the  service  of  the  Reformed  Church,  which  Boehm 
loved  so  much,  and  for  which  he  was  willing  to  make  so  many 
sacrifices.  From  the  letters  of  Boehm,  now  published,  his 
services  to  the  Reformed  Church  are  fully  evident.  They  need 
only  to  be  summarized  here  in  conclusion. 

In  the  first  place  Boehm  may  justly  be  called  the  founder 

"'  See  the  extract  from  Saur's  Paper,  under  date  May  16,  1749, 
printed   in  the  latter  part  of  this  book. 


IIOUSK  Ol-   PKTKR  TROXELI.  AT  liGYl'T,   I'.l    ILi    IN    1744,  IN   WHICH 
BOEHM   HELD  HIS  LAST  COMMUNION 


THE  OLD  "llOEHM   HOMESTEAD"'  IN    IIELLEKTOWN,   IN    WHICH 
JOHN   PHILIP  BOEHM   DIED 


LAST  LABORS  141 

of  the  Reformed  Church  in  Pennsylvania.  He  was  the  first 
Reformed  preacher  in  the  province,  who  gathered  his  people 
around  him  for  worship,  beginning  his  work  in  1720,  long 
before  Weiss,  the  next  minister,  arrived  in  1727.  He  founded 
the  first  Reformed  congregations  in  what  is  now  Montgomery 
County  in  1725.  Later  he  extended  the  sphere  of  his  activity 
to  Conestoga  and  Tulpehocken  and  many  other  frontier  dis- 
tricts. As  we  showed  in  an  earlier  chapter,  Boehm  was  the 
pastor  of  thirteen  congregations,  of  which  he  was  instrumental 
in  founding  certainly  eleven,  probably  twelve.  His  field  cov- 
ered practically  all  the  territory  from  the  Susquehanna  to  the 
Delaware  and  from  Philadelphia  to  the  Blue  Mountains,  a  dis- 
trict which  is  now  covered  by  eight  counties.  In  this  great 
field  Boehm  was  an  indefatigable  missionary,  supplying  even 
the  most  distant  congregations  with  preaching  and  the  admin- 
istration of  the  sacraments.  In  one  of  his  letters,  dated  July 
9,  1744,  Boehm  informed  the  synods  that  for  eighteen  years 
he  had  traveled  every  month  104  miles.  To  this  must  be  added 
two  more  years  till  the  arrival  of  Schlatter,  and  we  have 
twenty  years,  in  which  Boehm  traveled  every  year  1248  miles. 
We  can,  therefore,  say  that  Boehm  was  the  first  among  the 
traveling  missionaries  of  the  early  Reformed  Church,  holding 
the  great  record  of  having  traveled  on  horseback  24,960  miles, 
or  sixty  miles  more  than  the  equatorial  circumference  of  the 
earth. 

But  Boehm  was  also  the  preserver  of  the  Reformed 
Church  in  Pennsylvania.  If  it  had  not  been  for  his  faithful 
ministry  of  twenty  years,  the  Reformed  churches  would,  hu- 
manly speaking,  have  been  scattered,  as  they  were  later  dis- 
persed in  South  Carolina,  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  Other 
men  like  Weiss,  Rieger,  and  Goetschy  came  into  the  province 
for  a  few  years,  but  then  left  again,  unable  to  maintain  them- 
selves because  of  the  meagre  salary  paid  to  the  early  ministers. 
Boehm  himself,  although  he  received  annually  not  more  than 
ten  pounds  (about  25  dollars),  yet  stuck  to  his  post  alone 
throughout  all  those  years,  never  wavering  in  his  confidence 
that  God  would  ultimately  send  assistants  to  carry  on  his  work. 
His  faithful  labors  as  a  preacher  were  made  effective  by  his 
organizing  talent.  This  showed  itself  in  the  simple  constitu- 
tion, which  he  drew  up  at  the  beginning  of  his  ministry  and  by 


142  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

which  he  held  his  congregations  together.  Although  simple 
it  was  well  adapted  to  the  conditions  then  prevailing.  It  stood 
the  test  of  practical  experience.  It  would  have  worked  even 
better,  if  it  could  have  been  introduced  into  all  the  congrega- 
tions, as  Boehm  endeavored  so  earnestly  to  do.  By  his 
tact,  patience  and  persistence  Boehm  successfully  piloted  his 
congregations  through  the  long  years  of  waiting,  till  finally 
Schlatter  came  and  his  work  could  be  carried  on  to  a  successful 
completion. 

Boehm  was  also  the  defender  of  his  church.  It  was  mainly 
through  his  efforts  that  the  Reformed  churches  passed  un- 
scathed through  the  union  movement  of  Count  Zinzendorf. 
That  was  the  estimate  of  his  contemporaries.  Thus  Schlatter 
writes  of  Boehm  in  his  private  diary  :^^^ 

"Do.  John  Philip  Boehm  appears  to  me  to  be  a  very  up- 
right man,  to  whom,  according  to  common  report,  we  are  in- 
debted to  the  fact  that  the  Herrnhuters  have  not  caused  more 
confusion  in  many  of  the  congregations.  His  Reverence  has 
also  the  reputation  of  being  faithful  and  punctual  in  his  service, 
nor  has  he  received  much  benefit  from  it,  fcr  no  one  is  able 
to  say,  although  I  have  asked  more  than  thirty  persons,  that 
he  receives  annually  more  than  ten  pounds,  Pennsylvania  cur- 
rency, from  the  four  congregations  which  he  serves.  This 
does  not  include  his  perquisites  for  marriages,  etc.  Thus  he 
had  much  labor  and  trouble." 

Finally,  by  his  elaborate  and  careful  reports  to  Holland 
Boehm  has  become  the  historian  of  the  early  church.  No 
other  minister  of  the  Reformed  Church,  in  the  period  of  the 
Coetus,  approached  him  in  the  number  and  quality  of  the  letters 
which  he  wrote.  By  these  letters  he  has  set  himself  uncon- 
sciouslv  the  most  enduring  monument.  They  are  without 
question  the  most  valuable  inheritance  which  he  has  left  beside 
his  churches.  They  deserve  to  be  published,  for  they  are  full 
of  valuable  information.  Their  very  beauty  testifies  to  his 
thorough  education  and  love  for  order.  They  are  logical  in 
thought,  well  expressed  and  faultlessly  written  in  their  beauti- 
ful penmanship.  By  their  publication  he  receives  at  last  the 
recognition  which  he  deserves,  but  which  has  long  been  denied 

'"See  Journal  of  Presb.  Hist.  Soc,  Vol.  Ill,  p.   117. 


^^vVyi  7->^^'r A-  S^-rmV^  4rrrrfi^  JP^cft^  /./A  ).     , 

r/^^X^^^f^'v  ri         p'-'p-      ^f-"""'    'i""^*""       ■*^'"f'^«y,    '>■  ••/>^<»^ 


LliTTER  OF   BOKHM,   DATED  JULY  9.    1/44,   SHOWING   HIS 
BEAUTIFUL  PENMANSHIP 


LAST  LABORS  143 

to  him.  Even  Schlatter,  who  seems  to  have  had  a  sincere 
regard  for  him,  fails  to  give  him  just  credit  for  the  work  he 
did.  For,  if  we  examine  the  diary  of  Schlatter  for  the  purpose 
of  discovering  what  work  had  been  done  before  him,  we  are 
left  under  the  impression  that  Schlatter  himself  organized  prac- 
tically all  the  congregations  which  he  visited.  While,  with  the 
ampler  knowledge  Vve  now  have,  we  know  that  all,  or  almost 
all,  the  congregations  which  Schlatter  visited,  were  in  exis- 
tence before  he  came  to  Pennsylvania.  Even  during  his  life- 
time Boehm  was  forced  to  complain  that  his  work  was  over- 
looked. Thus,  when  Messrs.  Bartholomaeus  and  Hochreutner 
came  from  England,  he  tells  us,  they  brought  with  them  half 
a  sheet  (eight  pages)  of  an  English  print  in  which  he  "was 
not  even  deemed  worthy  enough  to  have  his  name  mentioned, 


^^p^^.>^,. 


SIGNATURE  OF  JOHN  PHILIP  BOEHM,  TAKEN  FROM  A  LETTER  TO 

THE    SYNODS. 

but,  referring  to  the  shepherdless  congregations,  it  was  said: 
'About  the  year  1720  they  had  one  who  was  a  layman'  ". 

This  neglect  of  Boehm's  work  has  followed  him  through 
the  later  history  of  his  Church.  When  Dr.  Harbaugh  gathered 
his  materials  for  the  "Fathers  of  the  Reformed  Church",  he 
came  upon  the  track  of  a  large  iron  bound  chest,  in  which  all 
of  Mr.  Boehm's  papers  were  said  to  have  been  preserved  most 
carefully.  Dr.  Harbaugh  finally  came  to  the  identical  garret 
of  a  house  on  Third  street,  Philadelphia,  where  the  chest  had 
been  stored  for  many  years.  But,  alas,  it  was  gone,  and  its 
papers  had  been  burned  twenty-five  years  before.^''*  What  a 
loss !  What  would  we  not  give  to  see  these  papers !  What  a 
light  they  would  have  shed  upon  many  a  question  which  must 
now  remain  unanswered  and  obscure !  And,  because  of  the 
loss  of  these  papers,  Dr.  Harbaugh  was  able  to  give  of  Mr. 

"♦  See  Harbaugh's  Fathers,  Vol.  I,  p.  290. 


144  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

Boehm's  life  and  work  but  a  brief  and  meagre  sketch  of  sixteen 
pages. 

Fortunately  what  was  lost  in  Philadelphia  has  to  some 
extent  at  least  been  recovered  in  Holland.  Through  these 
reports  and  letters,  preserved  in  the  archives  of  Holland,  the 
importance  of  Mr.  Boehm  for  the  origin  and  early  spread  of 
the  Reformed  Church  in  Pennsylvania  is  fully  seen  and  the 
value  of  his  work  has  been  made  so  apparent,  that  it  can  never 
again  be  forgotten. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

boehm's  family  and  descendants. 

We  have  seen  in  a  preceding  chapter  that  when  Boehm 
came  to  Worms  he  was  married  to  Anna  Maria  Stehler,  and 
that  during  their  stay  in  Worms  their  union  was  blessed  with 
four  children,  two  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The  surviving 
children  were  Johanna  Sabina,  born  May  2,  1709,  and  Anthony 
William,  born  April  27,  1714. 

After  leaving  Worms  Boehm's  first  wife  died  and  he 
married  again  at  Lambsheim,  Anna  Maria  Scherer.  The  name 
of  his  father-in-law,  Philip  Sherer,  is  given  in  the  deed,  dated 
July  I,  1749,  by  which  the  children  divided  the  estate  and  con- 
veyed the  plantation  and  homestead  in  Whitpain  to  the  young- 
est son.  While  at  Lambsheim  and  during  the  first  ten  years 
of  his  stay  in  Pennsylvania,  four  children  were  born  to  him. 
In  a  letter  written  to  the  Classis  January  29,  1730,  he  refers 
to  his  "wife  and  six  children,  four  of  whom  are  yet  of  tender 
age".  These  children  are  mentioned  in  the  deed  of  July  i, 
1749,  referred  to  above.  They  were:  Anthony  William,  Jo- 
hanna Sabina  (Sevina),  Anna  Maria,  Elizabeth,  Maria  Philip- 
pina  and  John  Philip,  Jr. 

When  Boehm  came  to  Pennsylvania,  he  settled  in  Whitpain 
township,  Philadelphia  (now  Montgomery)  County.  In  1734 
he  paid  quit-rent  on  200  acres  of  land  in  Whitpain  township. 
This  was  no  doubt  the  same  tract,  which  he  acquired  by  pur- 
chase September  9,  1736,  from  Rees  Thomas,  of  Marion,  gen- 
tleman, and  Anthony  Morris,  of  Philadelphia,  brewer,  and 
Phoebe,  his  wife.  The  deed  locates  this  property  as  follows : 
"Whereas  there  is  a  certain  Tract  or  Parcel  of  Land  situate  in 
the  Township  of  Whitpain,  Beginning  at  a  Corner  marked  Post 
by  Skippack  Road,  thence  North  West  by  the  said  Road  one 
hundred  and  sixty  Perches  to  a  corner  marked  Post,  thence 
North  East  by  a  Line  of  Marked  Trees  Dividing  this  from 
other  part  of  a  great  tract  whereof  this  is  Part  two  hundred 
Perches  to  a  Corner  marked  Post,  thence  South  East  by  a 

10 


146  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

Line  of  Marked  Trees  dividing  this  from  other  part  of  the 
said  great  Tract  one  hundred  and  sixty  Perches  to  a  corner 
marked  Hickory,  thence  South  West  by  a  Line  of  marked 
Trees  dividing  this  from  the  Land  of  Evert  In  de  Haven 
two  hundred  Perches  [to]  the  Place  of  Beginning,  containing 
two  hundred  acres  part  of  a  great  Tract  of  Land  reputed  to 
contain  4500  acres  formerly  laid  out  for  Richard  Whitpain, 
citizen  and  Baker  of  London".  The  consideration  was  £165. 
13s.  id.  The  deed  was  recorded  at  Philadelphia,  February  23, 
^7Z7-  On  this  land  Boehm  built  his  home  and  here  he  lived 
to  the  end  of  his  Hfe.  It  was  a  valuable  property,  located  in 
a  desirable  neighborhood,  about  fifteen  miles  from  Philadel- 
phia, provided  with  improvements,  stock  and  implements,  such 
as  were  found  on  the  best  plantations  of  the  time.  In  tem- 
poral affairs  Boehm  was  successful  far  beyond  the  average 
farmer  of  his  day.  This  may  have  been  due  to  some  extent 
to  the  excellent  management  of  his  farm  by  his  oldest  son, 
Anthony  William,  in  1736  a  young  man  of  twenty-two  years. 
In  order  to  set  up  his  oldest  son  on  land  of  his  own,  Boehm 
acquired  additional  property. ^®^  February  5,  1740,  "The  Hon- 
orables  John  Penn,  Thomas  Penn  and  Richard  Penn,  Esquires, 
the  proprietors  and  governors  in  chief  of  the  Province  of 
Pennsylvania  in  and  by  a  certain  patent  or  grant  under  the 
hands  of  the  said  proprietaries  and  governors  in  chief,  and  the 
great  seal  of  said  province  .  .  .  did  for  them,  the  said 
proprietaries  and  governors,  their  heirs  and  successors, 
give  grant  and  confirm  unto  the  said  John  Philip  Boehm  a  cer- 
tain tract  of  land  situate  on  Saucon  Creek  in  the  County  of 
Bucks".  This  tract  contained  two  hundred  acres  and  allowance 
of  six  per  cent,  for  roads.  On  May  16,  1743,  the  proprietaries 
granted  to  Boehm  another  tract,  probably  adjoining  the  first, 
containing  103  acres  in  Lower  Saucon  township.  The  eastern 
boundary  of  the  two  hundred  acre  tract  is  supposed  to  have 
been  the  Bethlehem  Road,  the  southern  boundary  Water 
Street,  now  in  the  Borough  of  Hellertown.  Under  date  Sep- 
tember 30,  1747,  John  Philip  Boehm  and  his  wife  Anna  Maria, 
deeded  the  above  two    tracts  to    their    oldest   son   Anthony 

"'See   A.    P.    Horn,    Re-Union   of   Apple's    Church   and   of   the 
Boehm  Family,  Hellertown,  1902,  p.  91. 


DESCENDANTS  147 

William,  "in  consideration  of  the  natural  love  and  affection 
which  they  have  and  do  bear  for  and  towards  their  oldest  sur- 
viving son  and  heir  apparent  .  .  .  for  his  better  preferment 
in  the  world,  and  for  divers  other  good  causes  them  specially 
moving". 

Rev.  John  Philip  Boehm  was  naturalized  April  lo,  1741.^®® 
by  the  Supreme  Court  of  Pennsylvania,  with  thirty  other  Ger- 
man Reformed  and  Lutheran  people,  several  of  whom  were 
his  parishioners.  In  his  letter  of  July  25,  1741,  to  the  Classis, 
he  refers  at  length  to  this  incident. 

Mr.  Boehm  died  without  making  a  will.  His  widow,  Anna 
Maria  Boehm,  renounced  her  right  to  administer  the  estate 
on  May  6th,  1749,  and  on  the  same  day  letters  of  administra- 
tion were  granted  to  his  youngest  son,  John  Philip  Boehm,  Jr., 
of  Whitpain  township,  on  whose  bond  Michael  Cleim,  of  Whit- 
pain  township,  inn-holder,  and  Daniel  Bouton  of  Philadel- 
phia, baker,  acted  as  surities.  An  inventory  of  his  personal 
estate  was  made  June  5,  1749,  by  John  Jemison,  Wm.  Foulke 
and  John  Roberts.  It  was  appraised  at  the  respectable  sum  of 
£424.  IDS.  /d.  Among  the  items  may  be  mentioned  :  Two  Bibles, 
eight  large  books,  three  dozen  small  books,  a  riding  horse,  three 
working  horses,  a  mare  and  colts,  sheep  and  lambs,  thirteen 
geese,  seven  stocks  of  bees  and  three  negroe  servants.  There 
were  also  two  "distills  and  two  coolers",  which  could  be  found 
at  that  time  on  nearly  every  farm.  In  view  of  this  inventory 
and  his  holdings  of  land  Zinzendorf  might  well  refer  to  him 
as  "the  rich  plantation  owner  in  Pennsylvania".^®^  The  in- 
ventory was  exhibited  in  Court  July  13,  1749.  The  adminis- 
trator's account  was  settled  February  27,  1755;  the  widow  re- 
ceiving her  third,  £130.0.0,  and  the  five  other  heirs  sums 
aggregating  £218.  8s.   lod. 

As  stated,  the  Saucon  lands  passed  into  the  possession  of 
his  oldest  son,  Anthony  William,  during  the  lifetime  of  Pastor 
Boehm.  A  settlement  and  adjustment  of  the  whole  estate  was 
made  between  all  the  heirs  on  July  i,  1749.     By  this  deed  the 

"•  See  Pennsylvania  Archives,  Second  Series,  Vol.  II,  p.  352. 
The  list  is  headed  by  John  Philip  Behm. 

'"  In  the  book  edited  by  Neisser,  see  Fresenius,  Nachrichten 
Vol.  Ill,  p.  704. 


148  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

daughters  of  Mr.  Boehm  conveyed  to  his  youngest  son,  John 
Philip,  Jr.,  the  Whitpain  farm  with  all  its  improvements  and 
appurtenances.  He,  on  his  part,  promised  to  maintain  and  sup- 
port his  grandfather,  Philip  Sherer,  during  his  lifetime.  This 
deed  was  recorded  at  Philadelphia  January  4,  1751. 

Anthony  William  Boehm^^*  resided  on  one  of  the  tracts, 
deeded  to  him  by  his  father,  in  a  house  which  is  still  standing  in 
Hellertown.  He  acquired  in  addition  three  tracts  in  Upper 
Saucon  township,  the  first  containing  203/2  acres,  the  second 
38  acres  and  the  third  68  acres  138  perches.  Warrants  were 
issued  December  21,  1749,  and  on  later  dates.  They  were  sur- 
veyed by  surveyor,  David  Schultz,  who  delivered  the  surveys 
March  20,  1755.  Patents  were  issued  for  them  November  13, 
1762.  These  three  tracts,  containing  together  127  acres  and 
92  perches,  are  located  in  Upper  Saucon  township,  Lehigh 
County.  In  1761,  Anthony  Boehm  was  assessed  £26.0.0,  in 
Upper  Saucon  township.  This  shows  that  he  had  left  Heller- 
town and  removed  to  Upper  Saucon  township.  It  has  been 
suggested  that  the  fact  of  his  wife,  Hannah  Phillis  (Felicitas), 
inheriting  a  large  tract  of  land  in  that  vicinity,  may  have  caused 
the  removal.  Anthony  William  Boehm  died  April  6,  1766.  His 
grave  has  been  discovered  in  a  private  cemetery  on  one  of  the 
above  named  tracts  of  land.  Letters  of  administration  were 
granted  to  his  widow,  Hannah  P.  Boehm,  on  May  10,  1766. 
His  personal  estate  was  inventoried  at  f133.12.7d.  In  the 
year  1767  his  widow  was  assessed  in  Lower  Saucon  township 
for  40  acres  clear  land  and  260  acres  woodland.  Anthony 
William  and  Phillis  Boehm  had  one  child,  Philip  Boehm,  who 
became  prominent  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution.  In  March, 
1777,  he  was  Lieutenant  Colonel  in  Colonel  Geiger's  Battalion 
of  the  Northampton  County  militia.  August  27,  1777,  he  was 
appointed  paymaster  of  the  militia  of  Northampton  County. 
In  1780  he  served  as  Coroner  of  the  County. 

Among  the  descendants  of  Anthony  William  Boehm,  it  is 
interesting  to  note  that  there  are  at  least  six  ministers,  two  of 

'"  For  the  brief  sketches  of  Boehm's  children  constant  use  has 
been  made  of  the  material  collected  very  carefully  by  Mr.  Dotterer 
in  his  Rev.  John  Philip  Boehm.  Philadelphia,  180O,  pp.  24-27;  printed 
also  as  part  of  the  Sesqui-Centennial  of  Boehm's  Reformed  Church, 
Norristown,  1891,  pp.  29-55. 


DESCENDANTS  149 

the  Reformed  and  four  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  The  Re- 
formed ministers  are:  Rev.  Wilson  F.  More,  now  at  Womel- 
dorf,  whose  descent  is:  Anthony  William  (I),  Philip  (II), 
Anthony  (III),  Magdalene  (IV),  married  James  More.William 
More  (V)  and  Rev.  Wilson  F.  More  (VI).  The  other  Re- 
formed minister  is  Rev.  James  A.  Boehm,  now  (1915)  at  Sel- 
lersville,  Pa.  His  descent  is:  Anthony  William  (I),  Philip 
(II),  Anthony  (III),  James  M.  (IV),  Alfred  J.  (V),  Rev. 
James  A.  Boehm  (VI).  The  Lutheran  ministers  are:  Rev.  Will- 
iam Rath  (1826-1889),  whose  descent  is:  Anthony  William 
(I),  Philip  (II),  Anthony  (III),  Susanna  (IV),  married  Ja- 
cob Rath,  Rev.  William  Rath  (V),  his  brother  Rev.  Jacob  B. 
Rath  (V),  and  his  son  Rev.  Myron  B.  Rath  (VI).  Another 
Lutheran  minister  descended  from  Anthony  William  Boehm  is 
the  Rev.  Thomas  C.  Billheimer  (V),  son  of  Jesse  Billheimer, 
married  Juliann  Boehm  (IV),  da.  of  Philip  Boehm  (III)  s.  of 
Philip  Boehm  (II)  s.  of  Anthony  William  (I). 

Johanna  Sabina  (usually  called  Sevina)  Boehm,  married 
Ludwig  Bitting  of  Lower  Milford  township,  now  in  Lehigh 
County.  Ludwig  Bitting  was  a  son  of  Henry  and  Anna  Catha- 
rine Bitting,  who  came  from  Freinsheim  in  the  Palatinate  with 
a  passport,  date  April  24,  1723.  Ludwig  Bitting  owned  land 
in  1734  in  Hanover  township.  In  the  same  year  he  was  natur- 
alized. From  1736  to  1746  he  was  a  member  of  the  Great 
Swamp  Reformed  congregation.  In  1749,  and  until  his  death, 
he  lived  in  Lower  Milford  township.  From  1758  to  1760  he 
represented  Northampton  County  in  the  Assembly.  He  was 
born  in  1703,  he  died  about  December  2'j,  1775.  His  will, 
dated  September  25,  1771,  gives  his  wife's  name  as  Elizabeth, 
from  which  it  may  be  inferred  that  he  had  married  a  second 
time.  His  children  were :  Ludwig  Bitting,  Henry  Bitting, 
Anthony  Bitting,  Philip  Bitting,  Peter  Bitting,  also  Anna  Maria 
Bitting,  who  married  Andreas  Graeber,  of  New  Goshenhoppen ; 
Elizabeth  Dorothea  Bitting,  who  married  Gabriel  Klein,  of  New 
Goshenhoppen ;  Mary  Catharine  Bitting,  who  married  John 
Klein ;  Christina  Bitting,  who  married  Franz  Leidig,  son  of 
Rev.  John  Philip  Leidig,  of  Frederick  township. 

Anna  Maria  Boehm,  the  second  daughter  of  the  Rev.  J.  P. 
Boehm,  married  Adam  Moser,  who  in  1749  was  living  as  a 
farmer  in  Philadelphia  County.     Nothing  more  seems  to  be 


'iSO  LIFE  OF  BOEHM 

known  about  him  and  his  wife  at  the  present  time. 

Ehzabeth  Boehm,  the  third  daughter  of  the  Rev.  J.  P. 
Boehm,  married  George  Shamboh,  weaver,  of  Upper  Milford 
township,  Bucks  County.  In  1740  a  warrant  for  230  acres  of 
land  in  this  township  was  issued  to  George  Shamboh. 

Maria  Phihppina  Boehm,  the  youngest  daughter  of  Rev. 
J.  P.  Boehm,  married  Cornehus  Dewees,  cooper,  son  of  Wilham 
Dewees,  Boehm's  most  prominent  elder  at  Whitemarsh.  On 
July  26,  1745,  Cornelius  Dewees,  of  Whitemarsh  township, 
bought  thirty  acres  on  the  Skippack  road  for  £108.  On  the 
first  of  January,  175 1,  Cornelius  Dewees  and  his  wife  lived  in 
Gloucester  County,  West  New  Jersey. 

John  Philip  Boehm,  the  youngest  son  of  Pastor  Boehm, 
•was  married  August  2,  1753,  by  the  pastor  of  the  German 
Reformed  Church  of  Philadelphia  to  Anna  Maria  Yost  (bom 
May  I,  1734),  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Elizabeth  Yost,  of  Whit- 
pain  township.  Their  children  were:  (i)  Elizabeth  Boehm, 
born  in  September,  1757,  buried  November  24,  1765  ;  (2)  Philip 
Boehm,  born  July  28,  1761,  buried  November  i,  1765;  (3) 
Daniel  Boehm,  bom  March  14,  1764,  died  November  28,  1765; 
(4)  Mary  Boehm,  born  in  1765,  married  May  25,  1784,  to  Wil- 
liam Peltz;  (5)  Philip  Boehm,  born  August  13,  1766;  (6) 
Jacob  Boehm,  born  October  29,  1768,  buried  July  16,  1773; 
(7)  Daniel  Boehm,  born  March  i,  1771,  married  December  2, 
1792,  to  Catherine  Peltz,  daughter  of  William  Peltz;  (8)  Eli- 
zabeth Boehm,  born  in  March,  1778,  buried  October  30,  1788. 

John  Philip  Boehm,  as  stated  above,  according  to  the  set- 
tlement made  between  the  heirs,  July  i,  1749,  became  possessor 
of  the  farm  and  home  in  Whitpain  township.  February  6,  1759, 
he  sold  to  Jacob  Kurr  150  acres  of  this  farm.  About  the  year 
1760  he  moved  to  Philadelphia,  where  he  engaged  in  mercantile 
business.  He  became  a  member  of  the  German  Reformed 
Church  there  and  was  at  once  made  an  officer  of  the  congrega- 
tion. In  1760  he  was  a  deacon,  in  1771  he  was  elected  an  elder. 
He  held  office  till  1783.  On  June  6,  1777,  he  was  appointed  a 
Justice  of  the  Peace  for  the  County  of  Philadelphia.  In  1778 
he  lived  in  a  house  on  the  west  side  of  Second  Street,  between 
Arch  and  Race  streets.  He  owned  other  property  in  the  same 
neighborhood.  He  made  his  will  September  5,  1788.  He  died 
in  Philadelphia  and  was  buried  in  Franklin  Square,  part  of 


DESCENDANTS  151 

which  was  then  used  as  a  cemetery  of  the  Race  Street  Re- 
formed Church,  on  the  17th  of  September,  1790.  His  son, 
Daniel  Boehm,  continued  the  business  of  his  father.  From  1791 
to  1802,  Daniel  Boehm  was  a  grocer  and  merchant  at  96  North 
Second  Street. 

For  other  descendants  of  Boehm  reference  may  be  made  to 
the  sketch  of  Mr.  Dotterer,  "Rev.  John  Phihp  Boehm",  Phila- 
delphia, 1890;  and  to  the  Boehm  Family  in  "Re-Union  of  Ap- 
ple's Church  and  of  the  Boehm  Family",  Hellertown,  1902.^^^ 

^'^^  For  other  books,  treating  of  Boehm's  life  and  labors,  see  Henry 
Harbaugh,  Fathers  of  the  Reformed  Church,  Vol.  I,  Lancaster,  1857,  pp. 
275-201 ;  J.  H.  Dubbs,  Historic  Manual  of  the  Reformed  Church  in 
the  United  States,  Lancaster,  1885,  pp.  164-168,  194,  200;  J.  H.  Dubbs, 
History  of  the  Reformed  Church,  German,  Vol.  VIII  of  the  American 
Church  History  Series,  New  York,  1895,  pp.  247-250,  266-270,  281 ;  J.  I. 
Good,  Historical  Handbook  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  the  U.  S^ 
Philadelphia,  1897,  pp.  51-55;  J.  I.  Good,  Early  Fathers  of  the  Re- 
formed Church,  Reading,  (1897),  pp.  20-30;  J.  I.  Good,  History  of  the 
Reformed  Church  in  the  U.  S.,  1725-1792,  Reading,  1899,  pp.  89-107, 
120-133,  265-278,  363-370;  H.  J.  Ruetenik  The  Pioneers  of  the  Re- 
formed Church  in  the  U.  S.  of  America,  Cleveland,  1901,  pp.  42-54; 
J.  H.  Dubbs,  The  Reformed  Church  in  Pennsylvania,  Lancaster,  1902, 
pp.  79-85,  90,  135-136,  149,  176-177;  Wilson  F.  More,  "A  Sketch  of 
Rev.  John  Philip  Boehm",  in  Proceedings  of  the  Re-Union  of  Apple's 
Church  and  of  the  Boehm  Family,  edited  by  Rev.  A.  P.  Horn,  Heller- 
town, 1902,  pp.  71-80. 


THE  CORRESPONDENCE  OF  THE  REV.  JOHN 
PHILIP  BOEHM  ::  CONTAINING  THE  LETTERS 
AND  REPORTS  OF  MR.  BOEHM  SENT  TO 
HOLLAND  AND  THE  LETTERS  FROM  HOLLAND 
ADDRESSED   TO    HIM      ::      1728-1748 


TRANSLATED  AND  EDITED  BY 
PROF.    WM.   J.    HINKE.   PH.  D. 


THE  CORRESPONDENCE  OF 
JOHN  PHILIP  BOEHM 


[I.  THE  CONSISTORIES  OF  THE  GERMAN  REFORMED 
CHURCHES  OF  FALKNER  SWAMP,  SKIPPACK  AND 
WHITEMARSH  TO  THE  CLASSIS  OF  AMSTERDAM, 
JULY,   1728.'] 

To  the  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam: — 

We,  the  undersigned,  Elders  of  the  Christian  Reformed 
Congregations  at  Falkner's  Schwamp,  Schip  Bach  and  Wit 
Marche,  situated  in  the  Province  of  Pennsylvania,  in  America, 
under  the  crown  of  Great  Britain,  find  ourselves,  in  the  name 
of  our  congregations  under  absolute  compulsion  and  obligation, 
to  have  recourse  to  your  Reverend  Body,  to  lay  before  you  the 
need  and  perplexity  of  ourselves  and  our  congregations,  and 
to  entreat  you  to  honor  us  with  your  Christian  help  by  means 
of  an  ecclesiastical  resolution,  which  will  tend  to  our  rest  and 
the  upbuilding  of  Reformed  worship  in  this  far-off  region  of 
the  world. 

This  is  the  situation :  Finding  ourselves  in  great  per- 
plexity, the  congregations  commissioned  us  to  consult  regard- 
ing our  affairs  with  some  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  ministers, 

'  The  original  of  this  petition  is  no  longer  in  existence,  but  a 
Dutch  translation  of  it  was  entered  into  one  of  the  Consistorial  Rec- 
ords of  the  Collegiate  Reformed  Church  of  New  York  City.  The  book 
is  marked  "Kerken  Raad  Boek,"  Vol.  A,  pp.  68-76.  It  was  translated 
and  published  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  T.  W.  Chambers  in  the  Merccrsbiirg 
Review,  Vol.  XXIII  (1876),  pp.  529-541;  later  by  Dr.  E.  T.  Corwin  in 
the  Ecclesiastical  Records  of  the  State  of  New  York,  Vol.  IV  (1902), 
pp.  2425-2437;  also  by  the  writer  in  the  Journal  of  the  Presbyterian 
Historical  Society,  Vol.  VI  (1912),  pp.  303-316.  The  present  trans- 
lation is  made  directly  from  the  Record  Book  in  New  York,  which  the 
■writer  copied  in  December,  1915.  It  contains  numerous  corrections  of 
the  earlier  translations. 


156  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

who,  we  heard,  were  to  be  found  in  the  neighboring  provinces. 
The  easiest  way  for  us  would  have  been  to  apply  to  Do.  Fre- 
linghuisen^  in  New  Jersey,  since  he  is  about  forty  miles  nearer 
to  us  than  New  York.  But,  having  already  to  contend  with 
some  errorists  dwelling  among  us,  who  maintain  among  other 
things,  that  one  can  judge  from  the  outside  of  a  man  whether 
he  is  a  Christian  or  not,  and  various  other  matters  which  we 
judge  not  to  be  in  accordance  with  the  Reformed  Church ; 
and  hearing  from  several  persons  on  our  journey  that  Do. 
Frelinghuisen  maintains  the  same,  at  least  his  disciples  openly 
asserted  it  with  free  condemnation  of  their  neighbors,  and 
other  things  not  conformed  to  the  Word  of  God  and  to  the 
order  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church ;  and  being  further  in-- 
formed  (which  is  a  matter  of  public  knowledge)  that  Do. 
Frelinghuisen  has  made  and  still  makes  use  of  the  services  of 
an  English  Dissenting  Minister^  in  the  churches  of  Raretans, 
who  also  intrudes  into  such  Dutch  congregations  and  assem- 
blies, as,  by  means  of  simple  folks,  he  can  gain  admission  to, 
and  is,  with  Do.  Frelinghuisen,  strongly  attached  to  Pietistic 
and  Labbadist*  sentiments,  against  which  we  also  among  our- 

'  Theodore  Jacob  Frelinghuisen  was  the  first  minister  of  the 
Dutch  Reformed  Church  in  Central  New  Jersey.  He  was  born  1691, 
in  Wolfenbuettel,  East  Friesland;  licensed  in  1717;  pastor  at  Emden, 
East  Friesland,  1717-1719;  came  to  America  in  1720;  pastor  of  the 
Dutch  Reformed  congregations  at  Raritan,  New  Brunswick,  Six-Mile 
Run,  Three-Mile  Run,  North  Branch,  1720-47;  died  in  1747.  For  a 
sketch  of  the  life  of  this  great  man  see  Corwin,  Manual  of  the  Re- 
formed Church  in  America,  4th  ed.,  1902,  pp.  472-476.  He  was  a  great 
revivalist,  hence  the  very  antithesis  of  Mr.  Boehm,  who  distrusted  him. 
'  'This  was  probably  Rev.  Gilbert  Tennenywho  was  ordained 
at  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  in  1726.  He  was  tRe  Presbyterian  pastor 
there  till  1744,  when  he  removed  to  Philadelphia.  Bochm  knew  him, 
of  course,  only  by  hearsay  and  therefore  failed  to  appreciate  his  emi- 
nently useful  work.  See  Webster,  History  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
in  America,  Philadelphia,  1857,  pp.  387-397. 

'The  Labadists  go  back  to  Jean  de  Labadie  (1610-1674).  Born 
in  the  Catholic  Church,  but  unable  to  effect  any  reforms,  he  joined 
the  Reformed  Church  in  1650.  In  1659  he  became  pastor  in  Geneva. 
From  there  he  went  to  Holland,  where,  in  1069,  he  founded  a  separate 
religious  sect,  known  as  the  Labadists.  They  emphasized  the  inner 
light  and  rejected  baptism  and  the  Sabbath.  A  Labadist  colony  was 
settled  on  Bohemia  Manor  in  Maryland,  see  Sachse,  German  Sectarians 
of  Pennsylvania,  Vol.  I  (1899),  pp.  57-70. 


LETTERS  OF  1728  157 

selves  have  to  contend ;  we,  therefore,  discouraged  from  apply- 
ing to  Do.  Frelinghuisen,  resolved  not  to  shun  the  trouble  of 
going  farther  and  repairing  to  New  York,  to  consult  the  well- 
known  Dutch  ministers  there,  and  Do.  Vincentius  Antonides  of 
Long  Island. 

When  we  had  spoken  with  them,  they  advised  us  to  betake 
ourselves  to  the  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam  for  Christian 
aid,  and  to  lay  bare  to  them  our  perplexing  condition  in  all  sin- 
cerity and  in  necessary  detail,  and  to  submit  to  the  ecclesiastical 
resolution  which  they  should  communicate  to  us  regarding 
this  matter.  This  advice  of  the  said  ministers  was  gratefully 
accepted  by  our  congregations.  Hence,  we  take  the  liberty  of 
appearing  with  this,  our  letter,  before  your  Reverend  Body,  and 
lay  before  your  Reverences  our  embarrassment. 

In  this  widely  extended  region,  Pennsylvania,  where  the 
first  settlers  bearing  the  name  of  Christians  were  Quakers, 
and  whither  men  of  all  sorts  of  opinions  have  repaired,  about 
eighteen  years  ago  [1710]  there  came  from  time  to  time, 
here  and  there,  widely  separated  from  one  another,  some  of  the 
Reformed  religion,  from  different  parts  of  Germany  and 
other  places,  as  also  some  few  from  the  neighboring  provinces 
of  New  York  and  New  Jersey,  etc.  These,  having  increased  in 
number,  in  order  not  to  fall  into  the  errors  of  those  among 
whom  they  dwelt,  induced  and  encouraged  each  other  to  hold 
religious  services  on  each  Lord's  Day,  etc.,  according  to  the 
doctrine  and  Church  Order  of  the  Reformed  Church,  as  far  as 
it  was  known  to  them. 

Indeed,  as  early  as  the  year  1720,^  there  came  over  to  us 
Johan  Philips  Boehm,  who,  according  to  his  testimonials,  had 
faithfully  discharged  his  office  as  schoolmaster  and  precentor 
in  Worms,  a  city  of  Germany,  for  about  seven  years  in  suc- 
cession, and  was  compelled  to  emigrate  by  the  persecutions  of 
the  Papists^  on  account  of  the  Reformed  religion.     Shortly 

^  The  original  reads:  "Imviers  in  den  jaare  1720  tot  ons  ovcrge- 
kotnen  zynde  Johan  Philips  Boehm,"  which  should  be  translated  as 
given  above,  not  "at  least  as  early  as  1720,"  etc.  This  correction  in 
the  translation  is  important,  for  it  fixes  Boehm's  arrival  in  America 
definitely  as  having  taken  place  in  1720. 

'There  is  little  evidence  that  there  v.-ere  actual  persecutions  of 
the  Reformed  people  in  the  Palatinate  in  the  year  1720.    What  comes 


158  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

after  his  arrival,  some  of  the  neighbors  established  a  religious 
gathering,  in  which  the  said  Johan  Philips  Boehm,  as  Reader, 
maintained  the  ministry  of  the  Word,  to  the  best  of  his  ability 
and  to  the  great  satisfaction  of  the  people,  for  five  years 
[1720- 1 725]  in  succession,  without  receiving  any  compensation 
for  it.  Afterwards  (since  we  were  very  desirous  of  enjoying 
the  Seals  of  the  Holy  Covenant,  which  we  had  not  been  able 
to  secure  in  this  far-oflt  region  according  to  the  custom  of  the 
Reformed  Church,  and  for  want  of  which  some  had  resorted  to 
Dissenters^)  he  was  at  various  times  urgently  entreated  by 
all  the  Reformed  people  residing  here  or  in  this  vicinity,  to 
take  upon  himself  the  office  and  service  of  a  minister,  which 
he  steadfastly  refused,  yet  meanwhile  constantly  persevered  in 
maintaining  to  general  edification  the  exercises  of  religious 
worship  as  a  Reader. 

But  the  Reformed  people  in  this  widely-extended  region, 

nearest  to  it  is  a  statement  in  the  Ephrata  Chronicle,  Engl,  ed.,  p.  8 : 
"About  the  same  time  (1715-1720)  many  persons  were  banished  from  the 
Palatinate  for  conscience  sake,  at  Frensheim,  Lanibsheitn,  Mutterstadt, 
Frankenthal,  Schriesheim,  etc.,  the  most  of  whom  ended  their  lives  in 
Pennsylvania."  More  general  and  indefinite  are  the  statements  in  the 
Berigt,  printed  in  Holland  in  1731,  in  which  it  is  said  (p.  2)  :  "Not 
long  after  the  first  settlement,  many  of  the  oppressed  inhabitants  of 
Germany  and  particularly  of  the  Palatinate  and  in  the  district  of  Nas- 
sau, Waldek,  Wittgenstein  and  Wetterau,  emigrated  to  Pennsylvania." 
In  1731  a  ship  with  refugees  (vlugtlingen)  from  the  Palatinate  was 
lying  in  the  harbor  of  Rotterdam.  They  were  visited  by  members  of 
the  Synod  of  South  Holland,  held  at  Dort,  in  July,  1731. 

A  statement  very  similar  to  that  of  Boehm,  is,  however,  found  in 
the  affidavit  of  the  prosecuting  members  in  the  Reiff  case.  They  state : 
"The  said  Deponents  being  duly  sworn  upon  the  Holy  Evangelists  of 
Almighty  God  do  depose  &  say,  that  for  above  the  space  of  ten  years  by 
gone,  great  numbers  of  the  subjects  of  the  emperor  of  Germany,  pro- 
fessing the  Potestant  Religion,  or  as  'tis  equally  called  the  Reformed 
religion  and  liaznng  suffered  hardships  in  their  native  country  upon  the 
score  of  their  religion,  came  over  into  the  province  of  Pennsylvania  and 
settled  themselves  in  sundry  parts  of  the  said  province." 

'  Some  of  the  Reformed  people  brought  their  children  to  the 
Presbyterian  minister  in  Philadelphia,  the  Rev.  Jedidiah  Andrews.  In 
a  letter,  dated  October  14,  1730,  Mr.  Andrews  writes:  "They  did  use 
to  come  to  me  for  baptism  for  their  children,  and  many  have  joined 
with  us  in  the  other  sacrament."  Other  Reformed  people  were  mar- 
ried by  the  Presbyterian  pastor.  See  Journal  of  the  Presbyterian  His- 
torical Society,  Vol.  I,  pp.  123-133. 


LETTERS  OF  1728  159 

having  increased  to  the  number  of  fifty  men,^  strongly  urged 
upon  him  (since  they  were  a  poor  people  living  far  from  all 
Reformed  congregations)  to  assume  the  office  of  a  minister 
among  them  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  although  he  was  not 
authorized  to  do  so  by  any  Reformed  Classis — which  authori- 
zation we  did  not  then  know  to  be  so  absolutely  required  as 
we  now  understand.  But  he,  recognizing  the  weighty  im- 
portance of  such  an  office,  entreated  them  to  excuse  him,  al- 
leging also  that  he  had  a  family  to  support  by  the  labor  of  his 
hands.  Nevertheless,  they  all  continued  from  time  to  time 
to  urge  this  on  ^im  and,  on  their  own  initiative,  offered  and 
promised  their  support  by  voluntary  contributions,  according  to 
their  ability,  however  small  that  might  be.  They  also  assured 
him  that  he  could  not  justify  before  God  his  refiisal  of  assum- 
ing so  urgent  a  work,  since  this,  their  unanimous  request,  was 
considered  by  them  to  be  as  lawful  a  call  as  was  ever  made 
upon  any  one,  and  they  thought  that  this  was  sufficient,  be- 
cause they  were  far  away  from  any  Classis. 

Thus,  Reverend  Classis,  we  confess  that  we  at  last  pre- 
vailed upon  Johan  Philips  Boehm  to  take  upon  himself  the 
ministry  among  us  in  this  widely  extended  region,  without  any 
other  salary  than  was  voluntarily  given  him,  and  to  conduct 
himself  in  his  service  in  no  other  way  than  according  to  the 
doctrine  and  Church  Order  of  the  Reformed  Church.  To  that 
end,  that  all  might  be  done  in  an  orderly  manner,  a  draft  of  a 
Church  Order  was  prepared  by  Johan  Philips  Boehm  with  the 
help  of  the  consistories,  to  be  maintained  by  us  in  harmony 
with  the  constitution  of  the  Reformed  Church.  This  was  read 
before  the  whole  congregation  and  subscribed  by  all  individu- 
ally. Thus  divine  service  has  been  faithfully  and  zealously 
maintained  by  Johan  Philips  Boehm  as  minister,  for  the  space 
of  three  years  [1725-1728],  with  much  edification  in  all  three 
congregations. 

'There  is  a  glaring  contrast  between  this  modest  figure  and  the 
statements  in  the  Berigt  of  1731 :  "Among  them  [the  inhabitants  of 
Pennsylvania]  are  Mennonites,  Lutherans  and  Reformed,  but  at  the 
present  time  the  Reformed,  holding  to  the  old  Reformed  Confession, 
constitute  more  than  half  of  the  whole  number,  being  about  15,000." 
Rieger  estimated  the  number  of  Reformed  members  in  1731  as  less 
than  3000. 


160  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

But  last  fall  some  objection  began  to  be  made  to  the 
ministry  of  Do.  Boehm,^  because  he  has  not  received  a  regular 
ordination  by  the  Church.  This  compelled  our  congregations  to 
give  further  consideration  to  this  matter.  Now  we,  the  un- 
dersigned members  of  the  Consistories  together  with  all  the 
members  of  the  congregations,  appointed  two  of  the  most  cap- 
able persons  among  us,  as  Commissioners,  and  sent  them  upon 
this  important  business  to  the  Reformed  churches  in  the  neigh- 
boring,— but  oh,  how  distant — provinces  to  seek  advice  of  ju- 
dicious ministers  for  our  direction ;  namely,  what  should  or 
could  be  done  to  uphold  the  lawfulness  of  Mr.  Johan  Philips 
Boehm  in  his  ministry  among  us. 

We  hereby  respectfully  submit  to  your  Reverend  Assem- 
bly the  weighty  reasons  of  our  wish,  desire  and  longing  in  this 
matter. 

Johan  Philips  Boehm  has  borne  himself  so  judiciously  in 
the  discharge  of  his  godly  office,  not  only  in  reference  to  the 
doctrine  of  the  Reformed  Church,  but  also  in  reference  to  his 
life,  that  we  have  not  the  least  complaint  to  make  against  him ; 
but  on  the  contrary  are  obliged  heartily  to  love  and  honor  him. 
Through  this  condition  of  affairs  all  offense  and  scandal  is 
daily  more  and  more  removed  and  the  pure  doctrine  of  the 
Reformed  religion  in  accordance  with  the  Church  Order  of 
Holland  and  according  to  our  ability,  is  from  day  to  day,  the 
longer  the  more,  spread  and  confirmed  among  us,  in  this  wild 
American  region. 

Our  three  congregations,  which  are  yet  small  and  poor, 
namely  at  Falkner  Schwamp,  Schip  Bach  and  Wit  Marshe,  the 
largest  of  which  consists  of  only  twenty-four  men,  the  second 
of  about  twenty,  and  the  smallest  of  not  more  than  fourteen, 
are  spread  out  more  than  sixty  English  miles^°  from  each  other 

*  It  is  an  evidence  of  fine  tact  on  the  part  of  Boehm  that  the 
person  who  was  the  source  of  all  opposition  and  trouble  is  not  men- 
tioned, the  Rev.  George  Michael  Weiss. 

'"  Boehm  probably  estimated  the  circuit  he  had  to  make  in  visit- 
ing his  congregations.  From  Whitpain  (his  home)  to  Falkner  Swamp 
was  20  miles,  from  Falkner  Swamp  to  Skippack  12  miles,  from  Skip- 
pack  to  Whitemarsh  16  miles,  according  to  Boehm's  report  of  1739. 
But  the  distance  between  Harleysville  (Skippack)  and  the  Wissa- 
hickon   (De  Wees'  home)   is  more  than  20  miles  by  straight  air  line. 


LETTERS  OF  1728  161 

and  are  distant  full  one  hundred  and  seventy  miles  from 
New  York. 

Inasmuch  as  the  so-called  Quakers  constitute  the  largest 
number  of  the  civil  magistrates  among  us,  your  Reverend 
Body  cannot  form  any  other  opinion  of  us  than  that  we  are 
living  among  all  sorts  of  errorists,  as  Independents,  Puritans, 
Anabaptists,  Newborn,  Saturday-folks,^^  yea  even  the  most 
horrible  heretics,  Socinians,^^  Pietists,  etc.,  among  whom  dread- 
ful errors  prevail ;  indeed  heinous  blasphemies  against  our 
great  God  and  Savior  and  their  own  exaltation  over  His  Maj- 
esty; for  they  claim  that  they  have  essential  divinity  in  them- 
selves ;  that  they  cannot  sin ;  that  what  they  condemn  or  ap- 
prove is  God's  own  condemnation  or  approval.  They  believe 
that  there  is  no  other  heaven  or  hell  than  what  is  here  on 
earth;  they  even  deny  Divine  Providence,  and  assert  that 
nothing  needs  God's  blessing,  but  that  all  products  of  the 
ground  and  all  offspring  of  animals  and  of  the  human  race, 
come  simply  from  nature,  without  any  care  on  the  part  of  God, 
and  that  prayer  also  is  useless.  Indeed,  we  do  not  know  of 
any  blasphemous  opinion  which  has  not  its  defenders  among 
one  class  or  other  of  those  among  whom  we  are  dispersed. 

Good  as  the  land  is  in  which  we  live,  equally  sad  and  un- 
fortunate is  our  condition  respecting  spiritual  things,  as  you 
can  easily  see.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  the  simple-minded 
people  are  exposed  to  the  greatest  danger  of  contamination, 
and  this  all  the  more,  because  most  of  them  are  inexperienced 

The  return  to  Whitpain  (Blue  Bell)  was  about  12  miles.  His  whole 
circuit  was  therefore  about  64  miles,  or  according  to  his  figures  ex- 
actly Similes. 

■^  "  The  sect  of  the  Newborn  was  founded  by  Matthias  Baumann, 
in  Oley,  Berks  County,  about  1718.  See  Sachse,  German  Sectarians 
of  Pennsylvania.  1708-1742,  pp.  73-78,  156-159.  The  Saturday  folks  are 
the  Sabbatarians  (Siebentager)  or  Seventh  Day  Dunkers  of  the 
Ephrata  community.  For  a  description  of  the  religious  condition  among 
the  German  settlers  in  Pennsylvania,  from  1700-1740,  see  above,  pp.  84-8. 
"  By  Socinians  Boehm  means  probably  some  form  of  Unitar- 
ianism.  Of  course  he  had  only  a  hearsay  knowledge  of  these  dreaded 
sects.  This  is  shown  by  his  curious  climax,  "Pietists."  Of  Pietism 
as  an  integral  part  of  Reformed  Church  history,  he  apparently  knew 
nothing.  See  Good,  History  of  the  Reformed  Church  of  Germany, 
pp.  307-410.  Zealous  and  earnest  as  Boehm  was.  he  can  hardly  es- 
cape the  charge  of  being  somewhat  narrow. 


162  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

and  poor,  living  great  distances  from  each  other.  Therefore, 
we  felt  ourselves  all  the  more  under  obligation  without  delay 
to  set  up  a  pure  religious  worship  and  to  maintain  it  by  every 
agency  possible,  in  accordance  with  the  Word  of  God ;  in  order 
that  neither  we  nor  our  children  nor  so  many  simple-minded 
souls,  in  whom  there  is  still  a  longing  for  the  true  doctrine  of 
the  Holy  Gospel,  may  be  lost  forever  in  this  soul-destroying 
whirlpool  of  apostasy;  but  that  they  should  work  out  each 
other's  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling. 

May  your  Reverend  Body  also  be  kind  enough  to  notice 
that  as  the  most  unassuming  sects  (as  they  seem  to  be)  among 
which  we  live,  seek  to  captivate  the  simple-minded  under  a 
Pharisaic  cloak  of  hypocrisy,  so  they  are  also  very  persistent 
in  all  kinds  of  allurements.  Thus  they  show  themselves  will- 
ing to  support  the  poor,  provided  they  will  come  over  to  them. 
They  also  pretend  among  them  that  they  cannot  enjoy  the 
ministry  of  the  Word  elsewhere.  Meanwhile,  they  never  cease 
their  abuse  of  all  Protestant  ministers  who  have  a  fixed 
salary,  insinuating  that  they  aim  for  money  only.  Now,  inas- 
much as  most  of  us  are  ignorant  and  poor  and  daily  subjected 
to  solicitation  from  outsiders,  it  was  absolutely  impossible  for 
us  to  secure  a  minister  with  a  definite  salary,  and  this  all  the 
more,  because  at  the  time  when  Mr.  Boehm  undertook  the 
service  we  were  entirely  without  the  necessary  means.  Unless 
we  were  wilHng,  therefore,  to  abandon  the  innocent  lambs,  these 
poor  people,  as  a  prey  to  the  constant  attacks  of  ravening 
wolves  in  sheep's  clothing,  there  seemed  to  be  no  other  feasi- 
ble way  than  that  the  aforesaid  Boehm,  who  was  known  among 
us  as  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  knowledge  in  the  sound 
doctrine  of  the  truth,  of  praiseworthy  life  and  of  exemplary 
zeal  in  resisting  these  errors  and  in  warning  the  ignorant 
against  them,  who  was  also  provided  with  laudatory  testimo- 
nials from  Germany,  where  for  several  years,  as  a  member 
of  the  Reformed  Church,  he  had  been  a  schoolmaster  and  who 
was  here  engaged  in  agriculture, — there  seemed,  we  say,  no 
other  way  than  that  the  said  Boehm  should  be  most  urgently 
requested  to  assume  the  ministerial  office  among  us,  out  of 
love  for  the  work,  without  a  fixed  salary;  yet  under  promise 
that  we  should  see  what  voluntary  contributions  (which,  how- 
ever, could  not  be  but  small)  we  could  collect  for  him  from 


LETTERS  OF  1728  163 

any  who  had  means.  Such  then  has  been  our  course,  partly 
to  escape  the  slander  of  the  sects,  but  chiefly  because  we  could 
not  help  ourselves  in  any  other  way. 

When,  in  the  meantime,  we  heard  and  learned  from  the 
said  ministers  that,  according  to  the  Church  Order  of  the 
Reformed  Church,  no  one,  whoever  he  might  be,  could  be 
recognized  as  a  lawful  minister  except  after  previous  examina- 
tion and  approval  by  a  Classis  belonging  to  the  Reformed 
Church;  and  that  we,  although  in  a  case  of  extreme  necessity 
and  in  ignorance  of  the  proper  manner  of  installing  a  minister 
in  a  Reformed  Church,  had  erred  in  appointing  J.  P.  Boehm 
as  our  minister ;  we  felt  greatly  grieved  in  our  hearts  over  our 
wrong  action  regarding  him.  As  a  result,  following  the  advice 
of  the  said  ministers  (who  declared  that  they  could  do  nothing 
further  therein)  we  now  present  our  case,  with  all  readiness 
and  most  submissively,  to  the  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam, 
with  humble  prayer  and  most  earnest  request  in  Christ's 
name,  that  in  view  of  all  we  have  stated  above,  our  great  mis- 
step may  be  overlooked  and  that  the  Reverend  Classis  may  aid 
us  with  such  acts  as  will  tend  to  redress  and  settlement  in  this 
important  matter  and  in  our  perplexed  condition. 

We  also  beseech  the  Reverend  Classis  kindly  to  consider 
the  evil  consequences  which  would  ensue,  if  all  that  has  been 
done  amongst  us  should  be  declared  null  and  void, — the  min- 
istry of  Do.  Boehm  as  called  by  us  to  be  the  teacher  of  the 
three  said  congregations,  and  his  administration  of  the  Seals 
of  the  Covenant  in  general  and  of  Holy  Baptism  in  particu- 
lar,"— more  than  two  hundred  children  having  been  baptized 

"  The  circumstances  were  similar  to  those  of  Rev.  John  Casper 
Frymuth  (Fryenmoet),  a  Dutch  Reformed  minister  in  the  Minisink 
region,  now  Monroe  County.  In  1741  he  induced  Rev.  George  William 
Mancius,  who  had  organized  the  Dutch  churches  on  the  Delaware  in 
1737,  to  ordain  him.  As  many  found  fault  with  this  ordination,  appli- 
cation was  made  to  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam  that  he  might  be  legally 
ordained.  Classis  granted  permission  in  May,  1744.  He  was  re-or- 
dained by  Mancius,  December  16,  1744  (see  Eccl.  Records  of  N.  Y., 
IV,  2863f).  On  June  6,  1746,  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam  decided  that 
his  previous  baptisms  were  invalid  and  had  to  be  repeated  (1.  c,  p.  2910). 
According  to  a  letter  of  Bishop  Cammerhoflf,  dated  August  13,  1747, 
some  submitted  to  have  their  children  re-baptized;  others  demanded 
their  money  back,  because,  according  to  his  own  confession,  they  had 
not  received  the  value  of  their  money.  See  Reichel,  Early  History  of 
the  Church  of  the  United  Brethren  (Unitas  Fratrum'),  1888,  p.  32. 


164  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

by  him,  besides  various  others  who,  through  his  zeal,  have 
come  over  to  us  from  the  sects  which  despise  baptism.  How 
great  a  division  would  it  create  in  our  congregations,  and  how 
would  it  open  the  mouth  of  the  errorists  to  deride  us !  Indeed, 
it  is  certainly  to  be  feared  that  the  exercise  of  the  Reformed 
religion  among  so  many  foes  would  be  sadly  injured,  and  that 
which  has  hitherto  been  done  to  edification  amid  so  many  dif- 
ficulties and  in  our  weakness  would  be  nullified ;  that  our  con- 
gregations in  their  very  start  would  be  ruined,  and  that  many 
ignorant  people  would  be  sadly  led  astray  into  various  errors. 

However,  notwithstanding  all  this  (which  we  ask  the 
Reverend  Classis  to  take  to  heart),  Mr.  Boehm  declares  with 
us  through  this  letter  sent  to  you  that  he  is  willing  and  ready 
to  submit  fully  to  your  Classical  resolution,  if  the  Classis  deem 
it  necessary  for  him  to  leave  his  ministerial  office  (which  he 
did  not  in  the  least  seek  of  himself,  but  which  burden  was 
pressed  upon  him  by  all  unanimously)  and  to  return  to  his 
secular  calling  and  confine  himself  to  the  service  of  a  Reader, 
to  which  he  was  called.  By  his  acts  he  has  only  sought  to 
satisfy  his  conscience,  the  more  so  because  the  love  of  the 
people  has  daily  increased  from  the  beginning  of  his  service 
till  now,  and  the  congregations  themselves  have  also  grown 
from  day  to  day.  But,  perhaps,  if  God  should  spare  Mr. 
Boehm  to  us  a  little  longer,  he  might  be  the  instrumentality  of 
bringing  us  to  such  a  condition,  that  upon  his  death  we  might 
be  able  to  call  a  minister  from  Holland.  But  we  fear  that  if 
he  should  be  compelled  to  give  up  his  ministry  now,  we  would 
fall  into  a  much  worse  condition  than  we  were  in  before,  as 
we,  Reformed  believers,  are  few  and  poor  and  widely  scattered 
in  this  wild  and  distant  region  of  the  world. 

Nevertheless,  we  submit  the  whole  question  to  the  wisdom 
as  well  as  to  the  pious  and  salutary  resolution  of  the  Reverend 
Classis  of  Amsterdam.  And  we  request  your  Reverences  most 
submissively,  with  persistent  prayer,  that  your  answer  may 
be  sent  to  us  by  the  first  opportunity. 

But,  inasmuch  as  we  have  made  mention  in  this  letter  of 
the  Church  Order  established  by  us.  we  feel  bound  to  forward 
a  copy  of  the  same  to  your  Reverences,  in  order  that  the  Rev- 
erend Classis  may  see  more  clearly  our  mode  of  governing 
the   Church.     The    following  are   our   church   ordinances, 


LETTER  OF  1728  165 

drawn  up  formerly  but  recently  revised,  including  submission 
to  the  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam : 

[church  ordinances  of  MR.  boehm's  congregations.] 
I.  That  the  members  of  Consistories  who  are  now  in  serv- 
ice in  all  the  three  villages  shall  be  recognized  and  remain  in 
office  for  their  appointed  term.  Then  all  the  members  of  the 
congregations  (as  has  been  done  hitherto),  with  the  minister 
and  the  members  of  the  consistories,  shall  choose  new  members 
for  the  consistories.  But,  at  the  same  time,  all  the  members  of 
the  congregations,  shall  transfer,  each  to  his  own  consistory, 
all  power  and  right  thereafter  from  year  to  year  to  elect 
officers  by  majority  vote  of  the  consistories  themselves ;  since 
through  the  increase  and  spread  of  the  congregations  it  is  not 
practicable  for  all  the  members  to  meet  just  for  this  purpose. 
The  persons  chosen  shall  be  announced  for  three  Sundays, 
each  in  his  congregation,  to  see  if  any  one  makes  any  lawful 
objection ;  and  if  not,  they  shall  be  ordained  after  the  third 
announcement.  And  if  it  should  happen  (as  we  hope  it  will 
not)  that  one  or  more  of  the  consistorial  persons  should  behave 
disorderly  or  create  strife  and  division  in  the  congregations,  he 
or  they  shall  be  warned  in  time  by  the  other  members  to  dis- 
continue such  conduct,  and  if  they  do  not  comply,  they  shall 
be  removed  from  their  offices  and  others  shall  be  chosen  in 
their  stead,  from  those  who  were  last  in  service,  and  be  regu- 
larly ordained  and  then  serve.  The  same  course  shall  be  fol- 
lowed in  case  any  one  dies  in  office. 

2.  When  an  Elder  or  Deacon  goes  out  of  office,  he  may 
be  exempt  from  service  for  two  years  and  may  then  again 
be  chosen ;  or  even  earlier,  if  it  be  deemed  necessary  by  the  Con- 
sistory then  in  office. 

3.  The  Elders,  Deacons  and  all  the  members  of  the  three 
villages  asknowledge  and  desire  to  retain  for  their  minister, 
Mr.  Johan  Philips  Boehm,  who  hitherto  has  performed  his 
service  among  them  acceptably  and  with  fidelity,  according  to 
the  doctrine  of  the  Reformed  Church. 

4.  The  ^^linister.  Elders,  Deacons  and  the  whole  con- 
gregation shall  fix  the  times  when  and  the  places  where,  on 
the  Lord's  Day  and  on  others  days,  divine  service  shall  be  held. 

5.  The  rite  of  Baptism  shall  always  be  administered, 
without  fee,  at  the  close  of  the  divine  service.     Beside  the 


166  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

parents,  there  shall  be  witnesses  at  the  baptism,  and  this  edify- 
ing custom  shall  not  be  altered  lightly.  The  witnesses  must  be 
sound  in  doctrine  and  blameless  in  life. 

6.  The  Holy  Supper  shall  be  administered  twice  a  year 
at  each  place  where  public  worship  is  maintained.  No  one 
shall  be  admitted  thereto,  unless  upon  confession  before  the 
Consistory,  and  evidence  of  a  godly  life,  or  upon  proper  testi- 
monials from  other  congregations,  according  to  the  Church  Or- 
der of  the  Synod  of  Dort,  of  the  years  1618  and  1619.  All  the 
members  shall  constantly,  as  far  as  able,  attend  worship  and 
be  present  at  the  preparatory  sermon.  Those  who  neglect  this 
shall  be  admonished  by  the  Consistory,  as  they  shall  deem 
necessary.  The  parents  shall  diligently  instruct  the  children 
in  the  Reformed  religion,  and  to  that  end,  shall  carefully  pro- 
vide for  their  hearing  God's  Word,  in  the  preaching  and  in 
catechization,  so  that  the  youth  also  may  come  to  the  Lord's 
table.  All  the  members  of  the  three  congregations  shall  have 
the  privilege  to  commune  in  any  one  of  the  churches,  no  law- 
ful hindrance  existing,  so  long  as  they  have  a  minister  in 
common. 

7.  The  bread  and  wine  for  the  Lord's  Supper  shall  always 
be  furnished  and  paid  by  the  Deacons  out  of  the  alms  that  have 
been  gathered,  and  they  shall  carefully  reckon  it  up  in  the 
account. 

The  members  of  the  Consistory,  whether  Elders  or  Dea- 
cons, to  whom  the  church  treasury  and  property  are  entrusted, 
shall  annually  render  a  good  account  of  their  administration 
before  the  congregation,  and  for  this  purpose  shall  keep  a 
true  record  of  receipts  and  expenditures.  And  the  account, 
when  approved,  shall  be  signed  by  the  minister  in  the  name 
of  all  as  satisfactory. 

8.  In  order  to  meet  all  the  necessities  of  the  Church,  the 
Deacons  shall  always  collect  the  alms  at  the  close  of  each 
service. 

9.  If  any  member,  whether  male  or  female,  shall  go 
astray  into  immorality  or  other  sins,  such  shall  be  put  under 
censure  by  the  Consistory,  until  they  promise  and  give  evidence 
of  amendment. 

10.  The  office  and  duty  of  the  Minister  shall  be  to  preach 
the  doctrine  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  purity,  according  to 


LETTER  OF  1728  167 

the  Word  of  God;  to  administer  the  Seals  of  the  Covenant  at 
the  proper  time  and  place ;  to  hold  strictly  to  the  Confession  of 
Faith  of  the  Reformed  Church;^*  to  expound  the  Heidelberg 
Catechism  in  regular  order;  to  catechize  (the  children)  and, 
in  conjunction  with  the  Elders,  to  exercise  discipline.  He  shall 
not,  without  necessity,  omit  to  hold  services  at  the  prescribed 
times  and  places,  namely  at  Falkner  Schwamp,  Schip  Bach  and 
Wit  Marche. 

11.  A  Consistory  meeting  shall  be  held  at  least  once 
every  half  year  and  the  minister  shall  record  all  ecclesiastical 
proceedings  in  a  book. 

12.  And  if  he  should  be  inclined  to  leave,  either  because 
he  has  been  called  elsewhere  or  for  other  lawful  reasons,  he  shall 
as  soon  as  practicable  give  the  congregations  notice,  so  that 
they  may  not  be  left  embarrassed,  but  may  be  enabled  in  time 
to  secure  another  suitable  man.  The  minister  shall  also  in  all 
other  things  deport  himself  as  a  true  servant  of  Christ,  under 
Him  the  Great  Shepherd  of  the  sheep. 

13.  The  Minister,  Elders  and  Deacons  shall  maintain  a 
careful  oversight  over  the  congregation.  They  shall  appear, 
at  the  appointed  time  and  place  to  hold  consistory  meetings, 
and  shall  not  omit  the  same  without  sufficient  cause.  They 
shall  faithfully  observe  the  foregoing  rules,  each  in  his  re- 
spective office,  to  the  best  of  his  ability.  Whoever  knows  of 
any  offense,  committed  by  any  member  of  the  Consistory  or 
Church,  shall  feel  bound  in  conscience  to  make  it  known,  not 
through  malice  or  hatred,  but  to  prevent  scandal.  The  accused 
shall  not  demand  the  name  of  his  accuser,  nor  obstinately  deny 
his  faults,  if  proved,  nor  wickedly  continue  therein ;  such  as 
do  so  shall  not  be  regarded  as  members  of  the  congregation, 
until  they  promise  and  show  amendment  of  life. 

And  if  any  one  bring  any  charge  against  the  doctrines  or 
life  of  the   Minister  or  any  member  of  the   Consistory,   or 

"  The  Belgic  Confession,  framed  by  Guide  de  Bres,  of  Brabant, 
and  others,  about  the  year  1561,  in  French,  is  meant.  It  was  adopted 
by  the  Synod  of  Dort  in  1619.  An  abridgment,  made  by  Festus 
Hommius,  was  recognized  by  the  Synod  of  Middleburg  in  1581.  The 
shorter  form  is  given  by  Augusti,  Corpus  Librorum  Symbolicoruin, 
Lipsiae  1846,  pp.  170-197 ;  the  longer  in  Niemeyer,  Collectio  Confes- 
sionum,  Lipsiae  1840,  pp.  360-389. 


168  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

against  any  other  member,  such  person  shall  refrain  from  any 
disgraceful  and  slanderous  words,  and  not  seek  private  re- 
venge, but  refer  the  matter  to  the  Consistory,  which  shall  be 
bound  to  use  all  diligence  to  remove  such  scandal. 

14.  And  as  we  hope  that  the  Reverend  Classis  will,  as 
speedily  as  possible,  favor  and  sustain  our  Christian  efforts,  in 
our  sad  condition, — so  we  bind  ourselves  to  lay  all  calls  here- 
after, for  future  ministers,  before  your  Reverend  Body,  and 
await  your  decision ;  and  further,  to  conduct  ourselves  with  our 
present  Minister  according  to  such  directions  as  you  may 
deem  useful  for  our  congregations,  according  to  the  Dutch 
Reformed  Church  Order.  Also  the  newly-elected  members  of 
the  Consistory,  before  entering  upon  their  office,  shall  annually 
subscribe  all  this,  when  you  have  approved  it  that  they  may  the 
better  perform  these  promises  which  we  make  for  ourselves 
and  our  successors.  And  in  order  that  everyone  may  strictly 
conform  to  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church  Order,  according  to 
his  office  and  station,  these  proposed  ordinances,  with  such 
amendments  as  you  may  suggest,  shall  annually  be  read  before 
the  congregation,  at  each  new  election  or  ordination  of  Con- 
sistory. 

A  written  Confession  of  Faith,^^  prepared  and  signed  by 
Do.  Johan  Philips  Boehm,  accompanies  this  letter. 

We  now  have  nothing  more  to  write  than  to  express  our 
heartfelt  prayer  to  God  that  what  we  have  thus  undertaken  to 
do  in  his  fear,  may  be  received  favorably  by  you.  We  have 
also  ofifered  many  petitions,  that  through  God's  mercies  we  may 
receive  your  wished-for  help,  and  fervent  desires  for  a  good 
result,  which  we  shall  always  gratefully  recognize  as  proceed- 
ing from  the  kind  Providence  of  a  gracious  God  over  us,  for 
the  upbuilding  and  sustaining  of  His  Church  against  the  mani- 
fold errors  and  evils  which  are  round  about  us. 

To  this  end,  as  for  the  well-being  of  God's  House  in 
general,  may  our  gracious  heavenly  Father,  in  the  Lord 
Jesus,  and   through   the   Holy   Spirit,  abundantly  bless   your 

"  This  important  document  is  no  longer  in  existence. 


LETTER  OF  1728 


169 


beloved  persons,  families  and  holy  service.    Such  is  the  hearty 

wish  and  prayer, 

Reverend  Fathers  and  Brethren  in 
Christ,  of  your  humble  petitioning 
servants,  brethren,  yea  children  in 
the  Lord,  the  Consistories  of  the 
three  Reformed  congregations  at 
Falkner  Schwamp,  Schip  Bach  and 
Wit  Marche.i'^ 


Pennsylvania, 
July,  1728. 

William  de  Wees/^ 

ISACK  DiLBECK, 

Georg  Philip  Totterer, 
Frederick  Antes, 
JoH^  Meyer, 
Jac.  Meyer, 
Gabriel  Schuiler, 
JoH.  Berkenbeil, 


In  the  name  of  all 
(Signed  by  each  with  his  own  hand) 

Sebastian  Reifsnyder, 
LuDwicH  Knauws, 
Laurens  Bingeman, 
JoH^  Revenstock, 
Georg  Klauer, 
Leonhard  Sperr, 
JoH.  Stephan  Ulrich, 
JoH^  Le  Fevre. 


"  Although  signed  by  Boehm's  elders,  the  letter  was  certainly 
written  by  Boehm.  One  of  the  earmarks  of  Boehm's  letters  is  the 
form  of  his  name.  He  always  wrote  it  Johan  Philips  (Philippus) 
Boehm.  But  the  form  and  contents  of  the  letter  also  point  to  Boehm 
as  author. 

"Of  these  men  De  Wees,  Dilbeck,  Knaus  and  Rebenstock  were 
members  at  Whitemarsh;  John  Meyer,  Schuiler,  Bingeman,  Sperr, 
Stephan  and  Le  Fevre  belonged  to  Skippack ;  Dotterer,  Antes,  Jacob 
Meyer,  Berkenbeil,  Reifsnyder  and  Klauer  belonged  to  Falkner  Swamp. 
Georg  Philip  Dotterer,  the  ancestor  of  the  late  Henry  S.  Dotterer, 
was  in  Pennsylvania  as  early  as  1722.  He  settled  in  that  year  in  Fred- 
erick Township,  Montgomery  Count}',  where  he  bought  a  farm  of  250 
acres.  He  died  November  6,  1741,  and  was  survived  by  his  wife  and 
six  children.  See  H.  S.  Dotterer,  The  Dotterer  Family,  Philadelphia, 
1903. 


170  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

[II.    THE  REFORMED  MINISTERS  OF  NEW  YORK  TO  THE 
CLASSIS  OF  AMSTERDAM,  AUGUST  15,  1728."] 

New  York,  August  15,  1728. 
Reverend,  Godly  and  Most  Learned  Sirs, 

The  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam. 
Highly  Esteemed  Fathers  and  Brethren  in  Jesus  Christ: — 

When  Mr.  Johan  Philips  Boehm  and  William  De  Wees  came  be- 
fore us  on  May  16,  1728,  as  Commissioners  of  the  Reformed  Christian 
Consistory  of  Falkner's  Schwamp,  Schipback  and  Wit  Marche,  and 
laid  their  case  before  us;  on  mature  consideration,  we  found  it  of  such 
a  character,  and  of  so  much  importance,  that  we  advised  them  to  pre- 
sent it,  in  all  its  details,  to  the  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  and 
cheerfully  to  submit  to  your  official  decision  thereon.  Otherwise  we 
did  not  dare  to  think  or  hope  that  the  Reverend  Classis  would  even 
consider  the  case.  We  knew  also  that  you  would  come  to  no  other 
conclusion  than  what  you  would  consider  best  for  the  honor  of  God 
and  the  welfare  of  their  congregations.  They  have  accordingly,  within 
a  few  days  past,  sent  us  the  enclosed  papers,"*  with  the  request  that 
we  would  forward  the  same  to  your  reverend  body,  and  add  a  letter  of 
our  own  in  testimony  of  the  foregoing.  We  hereby  do  this  with  our 
hearty  good-wishes. 

Reverend,  Godly,  and  Very  Learned  Sirs, 

Your  humble  servants  and  fellow  laborers  in  the  Lord, 

G.  Du  Bois, 
V.  Antonides, 
Henricus   BOEt. 


[III.    THE    CLASSIS    OF    AMSTERDAM    TO    THE    GERMAN 
CHURCHES  IN  PENNSYLVANIA,  NOVEMBER  28,  1728."] 

November  28,  1728. 
Very  Worthy  and  Much  Beloved  Brethren  in  the  Lord: — 

On  the  reading  of  your  communication,  sent  to  us  by  way  of 
New  York,  under  date  of  July,  1728,  our  Classis  was  deeply  moved 
with  sympathy  at  your  distressed  and  lamentable  condition,  and  at  the 
same  time  felt  that  the  reasonable  complaints,  which  you  poured  into 

"  Copy  of  original  in  Liber  A,  Records  of  Collegiate  Church  of 
New  York,  p.  76.  Printed  first  in  Mercersburg  Review,  Vol.  XXIII 
(1876),  p.  541f;  also  in  Ecclesiastical  Records  of  N.  Y..  Vol.  IV, 
p.  2438f. 

"•  This  refers  to  the  preceding  petition  of  July,  1728.  See  above, 
pp.  155-169. 

"  Copy  of  original  letter  in  Classical  Letterbook,  Vol.  XXIX, 
p.  33;  first  printed  in  Mercersburg  Review,  Vol.  XXIII,  p.  542;  also 
in  Ecclesiastical  Records  of  N.  ¥.,  Vol.  IV,  p.  2441  f. 


LETTER  OF  1728  171 

her  bosom,  had  sufficient  justification.  Be  assured  that  the  Classis  takes 
your  cause  to  heart,  and  according  to  her  ability,  will  endeavor  to  de- 
vise and  accomplish  what  may  serve  for  the  attainment  of  your  wishes, 
and  the  improvement  of  your  condition. 

The  principal  matter,  about  which  you  request  our  judgment  and 
assistance,  appears  so  important  to  our  Classis,  that  she  will  take  it 
into  careful  consideration,  in  order  to  send  you  her  matured  judgment 
upon  the  subject  at  the  next  opportunity. 

Meanwhile,  Worthy  Brethren,  you  will  have  need  of  patience,  cour- 
age and  prudence.  Do  not  grow  weary  under  your  trials.  Quit  your- 
selves like  men  and  be  strong.  Make  use  of  such  facilities  as  are  at 
hand.  Neglect  not  the  assembling  of  yourselves  together,  although 
you  have  to  meet  amid  malicious  adversaries.  But  be  steadfast  and 
immovable  in  the  work  of  the  Lord,  knowing  that  your  labor  is  not 
in  vain  in  the  Lord.  Are  you  not  zealous  in  a  good  cause?  By  it,  the 
glory  of  God  and  the  interests  of  the  Kingdom  of  Jesus  will  be  ad- 
vanced. Search  His  Word  constantly.  Let  your  desires  mount  up 
before  His  throne  in  earnest  supplications.  Cast  your  troubles  on  the 
Lord.  Rest  in  His  wisdom,  power,  mercy  and  fidelity,  as  the  One  who 
knows,  and  is  able  and  willing  to  deliver  all  who  put  their  trust  in 
Him.  The  good  work  He  has  begun  among  you.  He  is  able  also  to 
finish ;  and  He  does  not  let  the  work  of  His  hands  fail.  He  has  often 
shown  that  He  plants  and  preserves  His  Church  in  spite  of  all  oppo- 
sition. Therefore,  Brethren,  be  of  good  courage,  and  let  not  your 
hands  hang  down.  Wait  on  the  Lord,  and  He  shall  strengthen  your 
heart. 

May  He  who  can  do  far  more  abundantly,  above  all  that  we  are 
able  to  ask  or  think,  hear  you  in  your  day  of  trouble.  May  He  give 
you  light  for  darkness,  and  endue  you  with  wisdom,  courage  and  fi- 
delity, that  you  may  persevere  in  your  good  work  begun,  with  stead- 
fast purpose  of  heart.  May  He  cause  you  to  experience  in  His  own 
good  time  the  desired  results  of  all  your  efforts.  May  He  fulfill  all 
your  desires. 

This  is  all  we  have  to  say  at  present.     Expect  more  particular 
advice  at  the  next  opportunity.     We  remain  with  brotherly  greetings, 
Respected  and  Much  Beloved  Brethren, 

Your  servants  and  sympathizing  brethren  in  Christ, 

Corn.  Houthoff, 
Ecc.  Amst.  et  Dep.  ad  res  exteras,  p.t.  Praeses. 

John  Bakker, 
Ecc.  Amst.  et  Dep.  ad  res  exteras,  p.t.  Scriha. 
[Address] 

To  the  Worthy,  Godly  and  Esteemed  Brethren,  N.N.N.N., 
Members  of  the  Consistories  of  the  Reformed  Churches  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, especially  of  Falkner's  Schwamp,  Schipback  and  Wit  Marche. 


172  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

[IV.    THE  CLASSIS  OF  AMSTERDAM  TO  THE  REFORMED 
MINISTERS  OF  NEW  YORK,  DECEMBER  1,  1728."*] 

December  1,  1728. 
Worthy  Sirs  and  Brethren: — 

The  document  accompanying  this  (of  November  28,  1728),  is  to 
the  brethren  in  Pennsylvania.  With  their  sad  condition  the  Classis  has 
great  sympathy.  The  principal  matter,  which  excites  the  greatest 
anxiety,  is  considered  by  the  Classis  too  important  to  give  an  opinion 
on  hastily.  Therefore,  all  the  circumstances  of  the  case  will  be  consid- 
ered carefully  by  the  Deputies,  that  the  case  may  be  ready  for  decision 
at  the  next  meeting  of  the  Classis,  and  those  brethren  will  be  informed 
of  the  resolution  of  the  Classis  as  soon  as  possible. 

Meanwhile,  we  have  informed  the  brethren  in  Pennsylvania,  that 
our  Classis  has  accepted  their  complaints,  and  is  ready  to  assist  them 
by  counsel  and  deeds.  At  the  same  time,  they  are  exhorted  to  make  use 
of  the  means  of  grace  such  as  are  ready  at  hand,  until  more  favorable 
circumstances  occur,  to  which  end  the  Classis  will  use  every  endeavor. 

The  address,  by  reason  of  the  omission  of  the  same  in  the  letters 
of  those  brethren,  can  only  be  expressed  in  a  general  way.  We  there- 
fore request  that  you  will  forward  our  letter  to  them,  enclosed  in  this, 
as  soon  as  possible. 

As  for  the  rest,  the  Deputies  desire  that  everything  in  the 
churches  of  New  Netherland  may  be  done  in  a  regular  manner.  We 
say  this,  especially  because  complaints  are  sent  up,  in  regard  to  the 
refusal  (in  certain  places)  to  receive  ordinary  church-certificates.  It 
will  be  agreeable  to  our  Classis  that  every  one  act  in  this  matter,  not 
according  to  personal  feelings,  but  according  to  the  common  Church- 
Order.  The  Classis  thinks  that  as  to  the  accepting  of  certificates,  it  is 
safer  to  follow  the  usual  order  of  the  church,  than  that  church  inter- 
ests should  be  controlled  by  personal  considerations. 

Herewith,  etc.,  etc. 

[V.    THE  CLASSIS  OF  AMSTERDAM  TO  THE  BRETHREN  IN 
PENNSYLVANIA,  JUNE  20,  1729."] 

June  20,  1729. 
Reverend  Sirs  and  Much  Beloved  Brethren: — 

In  fulfillment  of  our  promise,  in  the  letter  sent  you  last  year, 
and  which  we  hope  has  reached  you,  we  have  now  the  pleasure  to  com- 

'"Copy  of  original  letter  in  Classical  Lettcrbook,  Vol.  XXIX,  p. 
34 ;  first  printed  in  Ecclesiastical  Records  of  N.  Y.,  Vol.  IV,  p.  2443f . 

"  Copy  of  original  letter  in  Classical  Lctterbook,  Vol.  XXIX, 
p.  37;  first  printed  in  Mercersburg  Review,  Vol.  XXIII,  p.  b4C)i ;  also 
in  Eccl.  Records  of  N.  Y.,  Vol.  IV,  pp.  24G8-71.  A  German  translation 
of  this  letter,  in  the  handwriting  of  Boehm  himself,  is  in  the  archives 
at  Bethlehem. 


LETTER  OF  1729  173 

municate  to  you  the  resolutions,  which  the  Reverend  Classis  of  Amster- 
dam, after  mature  deliberation,  has  adopted,  in  reference  to  the  condi- 
tion of  the  Church-Government  among  you,  and  the  transactions 
which  have  already  taken  place.  Our  resolutions  in  substance  are  as 
follows : 

1.  The  Classis  declares  itself  to  be  able  to  handle  this  case  with- 
out reference  to  the  Christian  Synod. 

2.  The  Classis  finds  in  the  acts  of  the  Pennsylvanians  all  the  in- 
herent elements  of  a  legal  call,  although  all  the  usual  formalities  have 
not  been  complied  with. 

3.  On  such  grounds  the  Classis  decides  that  all  the  acts  of  the 
said  Boehm,  his  teachings,  and  even  his  baptisms  and  his  administra- 
tion of  the  Lord's  Supper,  as  well  as  his  reception  of  members,  must 
be  recognized  as  legal. 

4.  In  order  to  provide,  however,  what  has  hitherto  been  lacking, 
the  said  Boehm  must  now  be  ordained  to  the  Sacred  Ministry,  according 
to  ecclesiastical  usage. 

5.  That  this  ordination  may  most  properly  and  speedily  be  per- 
formed by  one  of  the  ministers  of  New  York,  who  is  authorized  to  do 
the  same,  nomine  Classis. 

6.  That  this  ordination  shall  not  be  performed,  however,  before 
that  the  said  Boehm  has  declared  before  the  ministers  of  New  York, 
that  he  accepts  the  Heidelberg  Catechism  and  all  the  other  Formulas  of 
Unity,  and  that  he  will  direct  his  ministry  in  accordance  therewith, 
and  that  he  submits  to  the  "Church-Order"  of  the  Synod  of  Dort. 

7.  Furthermore : — The  Church-Rules  which  have  been  sent  to  us 
by  the  Brethren  in  Pennsylvania  are  found  to  be  useful  and  edifying, 
and  the  Reverend  Classis  has  no  objection  to  allowing  the  brethren 
the  use  of  the  same  for  the  government  of  their  church. 

8.  And  although  the  Reverend  Classis,  under  the  circumstances, 
approves  this  call  for  Domine  Boehm,  they  desire  that  this  way  of 
making  a  call  shall  not  occur  again.  They,  therefore,  accept  the 
proposition  of  the  Pennsylvania  brethren,  that,  hereafter,  when  a  new 
minister  is  needed  among  them,  the  Classis  is  to  send  them  a  competent 
and  properly  qualified  pastor. 

Thus  you  may  perceive  that  the  Classis  is  of  the  opinion,  that  in- 
asmuch as  the  Pennsylvania  brethren  so  earnestly  and  unanimously  de- 
sire Domine  Boehm  to  continue  as  their  pastor,  and  that  this  call, 
originating  as  it  did,  out  of  the  very  heart  of  the  congregation,  must 
be  considered  as  valid.  Consequently  all  that  he  has  heretofore  done 
as  their  pastor  must  be  considered  legal;  inasmuch  as,  in  the  new  plant- 
ing of  the  church  and  in  a  region  so  distant,  the  usual  formalities  for 
securing  an  ordination  were  not  at  hand. 

Nevertheless,  the  Classis  now  expects  that  care  will  be  taken  by 
the  brethren,  that  Domine  Boehm  be  ordained  to  the  Sacred  Ministry, 
according  to  the  plan  proposed,  by  one  (or  more)  of  the  ministers  at 
New  York,  who  are  requested  and  authorized  by  our  Classis  to  perform 
this  act.     Thus  the  work  of  the   ministry  may  be  carried  on  among 


174  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

you,  according  to  the  established  Church-Order,  and  thus  the  Congre- 
gation of  the  Lord  be  edified  and  built  up.  We  also  cheerfully  engage, 
on  our  part,  to  assist  you  at  every  opportunity,  with  our  counsels  and 
deeds,  especially  when  another  minister  may  be  required  among  you. 

For  the  rest,  Worthy  Brethren,  we  bow  our  knees  to  the  God  and 
Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  you  may  be  filled  with  all  wis- 
dom and  spiritual  understanding,  and  strengthened  with  all  might,  that 
Jesus  Christ  may  dwell  in  your  hearts  by  faith,  and  you  may  be  rooted 
and  grounded  in  His  love.  May  He  bless  the  ministry  of  your  pastor 
with  all  kinds  of  fruit  desired.  May  He  crown  your  church  with 
abundance  of  life,  light  and  spirit.  May  His  all-sufficient  grace  adorn, 
confirm,  enlarge  and  perfect  her,  and  make  her  a  praise  in  all  the  earth. 
Finally,  Brethren,  rejoice.  Be  perfect,  be  of  good  comfort,  be  of 
one  mind,  live  in  peace,  and  the  God  of  love  and  peace  shall  be  with 
you.     Such  is  the  desire, 

Worthy  Sirs  and  Beloved  Brethren, 

Of  your  friendly  and  well-wishing  brethren, 
The  Classis  of  Amsterdam, 
In  the  name  of  all, 

J.  Barker, 
Dep.  CI.  ad  res  exteras,  p.  t.,  Scriba. 
Addressed :    To  the  Reverend,  Godly  and  Beloved  Brethren  of 
the  Reformed  Churches  in  Pennsylvania. 


[VI.    THE  CLASSIS  OF  AMSTERDAM  TO  MR.  JOHN  PHILIP 
BOEHM.    JUNE  20,  1729."] 

June  20,  1729. 
Reverend  Sir  and  Highly  Esteemed  Brother: — 

Inasmuch  as  the  worthy  brethren  in  Pennsylvania  are  desirous  of 
having  the  lawful  services  of  a  pastor,  and  have  chosen  you  for  the 
ministrations  of  the  Holy  Gospel,  and  have  therein  encountered  much 
opposition  from  others;  and  have,  accordingly,  poured  out  their  com- 
plaints and  fears  into  the  bosom  of  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  with  re- 
quest for  counsel,  help  and  guidance  in  this  business:  the  said  Classis 
has  maturely  considered,  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  all  that  has  been 
presented  before  it,  and  has  taken  the  following  action: 

[See  the  letter  of  June  20,  1729,  directed  to  the  German  churches 
in  Pennsylvania,   for  the  eight  articles  of  this  action.] 
********* 

From  these  articles  you  will  learn  that  the  call  to  the  work  of 
the  ministry,  made  upon  you  by  the  brethren  of  Pennsylvania,  is  recog- 
nized  as   legal,   because  the  church   itself  desired  your   services,   and 

"Copy  of  original  letter  in  Classical  Letterbook,  Vol.  XXIX, 
p.  38;  first  printed  in  Mercersburg  Review,  Vol.  XXIII,  p.  547f ;  also  in 
Eccl.  Records  of  N.  7.,  Vol.  IV.  pp.  2471-73. 


LETTER  OF  1729  175 

the  ministry  of  the  Word  was  so  necessary  there.  Therefore  you  did 
well  to  gratify  the  strong  desire  of  the  brethren  in  this  matter.  But 
now  the  Cassis  expects  you  carefully  to  follow  what  she  requires,  as 
expressed  in  these  [eight]  articles,  both  in  reference  to  the  Formulas 
of  Unity,  and  in  reference  to  your  ordination  by  one  of  the  ministers 
of  New  York.  Each  of  these  steps  is  in  the  highest  degree  useful  and 
necessary,  both  for  yourself  and  the  church.  Thereby  you  will  also 
the  more  certainly  avoid  the  criticisms  of  outsiders. 

So  then,  dear  brother,  since  you  have  undertaken  the  work  of  the 
ministry  among  the  brethren,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  He  wishes  all 
things  to  be  done  decently  and  orderly  in  His  Church.  Fulfill,  there- 
fore, our  expectations  in  this  matter,  that  also  your  boldness  in  the 
exercise  of  your  ministrations  may  be  the  greater.  Such  a  course  will 
also  tend  to  our  happiness  and  satisfaction.  You  will,  therefore,  con- 
sult with  the  brethren  how  you  may  best  obey  the  requirements  of  the 
Classis;  and  you  will  also  be  guided  by  the  opinions  of  the  New  York 
ministers,  even  if  they  should  think  it  necessary  to  summon  you  to 
proceed  to  New  York,  to  receive  at  their  hands  the  ordination  required. 

Furthermore,  Reverend  Brother,  we  most  heartily  wish  that  all 
desirable  blessings  may  come  down  upon  you  personally  and  upon  your 
work.  May  the  Father  of  Lights  enlighten  you  with  His  Spirit,  which 
is  the  spirit  of  wisdom  and  of  revelation,  in  the  knowledge  of  Him, 
that  you  may  also  enlighten  others.  May  the  God  of  might  gird  you 
with  all  strength,  that  like  a  hero  by  the  bed  of  Solomon,  you  may  be 
ready  and  armed  against  an  alarm  in  the  night.  May  the  God  of  all 
grace  adorn  you  with  every  holy  adornment,  make  you  an  example  to 
the  flocic,  in  walk  and  faith,  in  love  and  purity. 

In  a  word,  may  the  Lord  make  your  ministry  glorious  and  suc- 
cessful, and  deign  in  His  own  good  time,  to  make  you  shine,  in  His 
kingdom  as  a  teacher  who  has  turned  many  to  righteousness. 

Reverend  and  Highly  Esteemed  Brother,  we  remain, 
Your  cordial  and  loving  brethren, 
The  Classis  of  Amsterdam, 
In  the  name  of  all, 

J.  Barker, 
Dep.  CI.  ad  res  exteras,  p.  t.  Scriba. 

Addressed :  To  the  Rev.,  Godly  and  Learned  Mr.  J.  P.  Boehm, 
Minister  of   the   Holy   Gospel   in   Pennsylvania. 

P.  S.  We  also  request  that  you  will  please  maintain  corres- 
pondence with  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam. 


176  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

[VII.    THE  CLASSIS  OF  AMSTERDAM  TO  THE  MINISTERS 
AT  NEW  YORK.    JUNE  20,  1729."] 

June  20,  1729. 
Very  Reverend  Sirs,  Much  Beloved  and  Highly  Esteemed  Brethren: — 

While  we  take  the  liberty  of  requesting  your  services  in  sending 
the  enclosed  documents  to  Pennsylvanizi,  we  cannot,  nor  do  we  desire 
to  hide  from  you,  the  action  which  the  Classis  has  taken,  concerning 
the  condition  of  the  churches  in  Pennsylvania,  in  connection  with  the 
complaints  received,  as  follows : 

[For  the  eight  points,  see  the  letter  of  this  same  date,  written  to 

the  German  churches  in  Pennsylvania.] 

********* 

Reverend  Sirs,  we  therefore  take  the  liberty  to  request  you, 
in  the  most  friendly  way,  to  put  the  last  touch  to  the  call  of  Domine 
Boehm,  in  order  that  he  may  be  ordained  to  the  Sacred  Ministry, 
according  to  the  directions  of  the  above-mentioned  articles.  We  un- 
derstand well  that  there  are  ministers  living  nearer  Pennsylvania  than 
yourselves;  but  we  have  learned  from  the  letter  of  the  brethren  [in 
Pennsylvania],  that  they  did  not  wish  to  deal  with  those  gentlemen 
in  reference  to  this  business  of  theirs ;  and  that  they  had  already  con- 
sulted with  you  about  everything.  We  feel,  therefore,  the  greater  free- 
dom in  entrusting  our  commission  to  you.  This  we  do  with  all  kind- 
liness. Nor  do  we  doubt  but  that  you  yourselves  appreciate  the  neces- 
sity of  this  ordination,  that  our  Church-Order  may  be  maintained. 

We  leave  to  you  the  liberty  of  deciding  as  to  the  place  where  this 
ordination  is  to  be  accomplished :  whether  one  of  you  shall  go  to  Penn- 
sylvania; or  whether  Domine  Boehm  shall  be  summoned  to  meet  you 
midway  between  (New  York  and  Pennsylvania),  where  he  may  meet 
with  one  of  you  gentlemen ;  or  whether  you  should  request  him  to 
come  to  New  York ;  or  whether  some  other  plan  should  be  adopted. 

We  also  request  that  when  you  forward  these  documents  to 
Pennsylvania,  that  you  inform  the  brethren  there,  when  and  where  this 
ordination,  nomine  Classis,  is  to  take  place;  and  we  expect  to  hear,  in 
due  time,  that  this,  our  commission  has  been  fulfilled. 

Herewith,  wishing  the  Lord's  most  gracious  blessing  upon  you, 
upon  your  families  and  holy  ministrations,  we  remain,  with  all  esteem. 

Reverend  Sirs  and  Beloved  Colleagues, 
Your  servants,  etc.,  etc., 

The  Classis  of  Amsterdam, 
In  the  name  of  all, 

J.   Barker, 
Dcf>.  ad.  res  exteras,  p.  t.  Scriba. 
Amsterdam,  June  20,  1729. 

Addressed  :  To  the  Rev.,  Godly  and  Learned,  the  Ministers  of 
the  Dutch  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  in  New  York. 

"Copy  of  original  in  Classical  Lcttcrbnok.  Vol.  XXIX,  p.  39; 
first  printed  in  Merccrshurq  Review.  Vol.  XXIII,  pp.  544-547;  also  in 
Eccl.  Records  of  N.  ¥.,  Vol.  IV,  p.  2473f. 


LETTER  OF  1729  177 

[VIII.    ORDINATIO'N  OF  MR.  JOHN  PHILIP  BOEHM  IN  NEW 
YORK  ON  SUNDAY,  NOVEMBER  23,  1729."] 

Recapitulation  and  Proceedings  at  New  York,  November  18-25,  1729. 

The  Reverend  Consistories  of  the  three  German  Reformed  Con- 
gregations at  Falckner  Swamp,  Schipback  and  VVitmarse,  having  ad- 
vised with  Revs.  Gualterus  Du  Bois  and  Henricus  Boel  of  New  York, 
and  Rev.  Vincentius  Antonides  of  Long  Island,  concerning  their  call  to 
Johan  Philips  Boehm  to  be  their  minister,  wrote  to  the  Classis  of  Am- 
sterdam, in  order  to  obtain  ecclesiastical  assistance  against  the  criticisms 
made  regarding  that  call,  laying  for  that  purpose  their  whole  perplexed 
condition,  etc.,  before  them  in  July,  1728. 

Thereupon  the  Reverend  Classis  at  first  replied,  under  date  of 
December  1,  1728,  expressing  their  sympathy  with  their  sad  condition ; 
receiving  their  complaints  in  order  to  help  them  at  the  first  opportunity; 
and  admonishing  them  to  make  use  of  such  means  of  grace  as  were 
at  hand. 

Subsequently,  on  June  20,  1729,  the  Reverend  Classis  wrote  again 
to  Do.  Boehm  and  to  his  consistories  and  to  the  ministers  who  had,  for 
this  purpose,  corresponded  with  them.  The  brethren  in  Pennsylvania, 
having  been  invited  and  appearing  fully  authorized  by  the  three  con- 
sistories to  finish  all  in  a  churchly  manner,  the  letters  (of  the  Classis) 
were  opened  and  read.    They  were  substantially  as  follows : 

That  the  Reverend  Classis,  after  mature  deliberation,  was  of  the 
opinion  that  the  call,  having  originated  within  the  congregation  itself, 
must  be  regarded  as  valid,  because  of  the  unusual  desire  of  the  brethren 
in  Pennsylvania  for  Do.  Boehm,  and  that  his  work  done  by  him  as 
minister  must  be  considered  as  legal,  on  account  of  the  lack  of  the 
ordinary  means  of  securing  an  ordination  in  a  newly  planted  church  in 
so  distant  a  region;  and  also,  because  the  ministry  of  the  Word  was 
so  necessary,  that  Do.  Boehm  for  this  reason  did  well  in  complying 
with  the  urgent  desire  of  the  brethren.  That  the  Reverend  Classis 
was  further  of  the  opinion  that  Do.  Boehm  should  now  be  ordained 
to  the  sacred  ministry,  according  to  the  Church  Order,  this  being  de- 
manded to  avoid  all  further  criticism,  and  that  the  ordination  be  per- 
formed by  one  of  the  ministers  who  had  been  in  correspondence  with 
them.  Therefore,  the  Reverend  Classis  had  authorized  them  to  carry 
out  the  same  in  their  name  and  to  complete  the  appointment  of  Do. 
Boehm.  with  permission  to  do  it  at  New  York  or  elsewhere. 

That  is  was  the  further  resolution  of  the  Reverend  Classis,  that 

'*The  original  is  in  Liber  A,  pp.  86-89,  of  the  records  of  the 
Collegiate  Reformed  Church  in  New  York.  A  copy  was  sent  to  Am- 
sterdam and  is  now  there  in  the  "Pennsylvania  Portfolio."  Another 
copy  was  made  by  Boehm  and  sent  by  him  to  the  Synods,  now  at  The 
Hague,  74,  I,  35.  First  printed  in  the  Mcrcersburg  Review,  Vol.  XXIII, 
pp.  549-553;  also  in  Ecclesiastical  Records  of  N.  Y.,  Vol.  IV,  pp.  2478- 
2484;  Journal  of  Presb.  Hist.  Soc,  Vol.  VI,  pp.  317-321. 

12 


178  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

Do.  Boehm,  before  the  ordination  take  place,  shall  declare  to  the  min- 
isters who  have  carried  on  the  correspondence  that  he  accepts  the 
Heidelberg  Catechism  and  all  the  Formulas  of  Unity  to  regulate  his 
ministry  strictly  in  accordance  with  them;  that  he  declares  his  readiness 
to  submit  to  the  Church  Order  of  the  Synod  of  Dort;  that  he  promises 
to  strive,  by  the  grace  of  God,  thus  to  fulfill  all  the  duties  of  the  holy 
ministry,  whereunto  the  Reverend  Classis  wishes  most  cordially  the 
divine  blessing  upon  his  person  and  work ;  and  finally  that  he  gives 
the  assurance  to  maintain  correspondence  with  the  Reverend  Classis. 

That  the  Reverend  Classis  further  resolved  that  the  brethren  of 
the  consistories  of  the  above-mentioned  three  congregations,  shall  ob- 
ligate themselves,  each  in  his  official  capacity,  and  their  successors 
from  time  to  time,  to  adhere  to  the  prescribed  articles,  together  with 
the  congregations  and  Do.  Boehm ;  that  the  Reverend  Classis  finds  the 
church  ordinances  submitted  to  them  useful  and  edifying  and  has  no 
difficulty  in  allowing  the  use  of  them  in  the  government  of  the  church ; 
that,  although  under  the  circumstances  the  Reverend  Classis  approves 
the  call  to  Do.  Boehm,  yet  they  expect  that  nothing  similar  will  again 
occur  in  the  future.  For  this  reason  they  accept  the  proposition  of 
the  Brethren  in  Pennsylvania  that  when  hereafter  a  new  minister  will 
be  needed,  they  shall  send  them  one  that  is  competent  and  duly  qualified  ; 
that  the  brethren  in  Pennsylvania  must  see  to  it,  that,  according  to  the 
proposed  arrangement,  Do.  Boehm  be  ordained  by  one  of  the  ministers 
in  correspondence  with  them,  who  are  requested  and  qualified  by  the 
Classis  to  do  this  act ;  and  that  they  submissively  accept  the  kind  offer 
of  the  Reverend  Classis  to  render  them  counsel  and  help  in  all  cir- 
cumstances, even  when  a  new  minister  is  required. 

It  was  also  unanimously  resolved  and  agreed  to,  according  to  the 
Church  Order,  that  the  ruling  elders  and  deacons  of  the  three  congrega- 
tions, after  they  have  made  known  the  letters  of  the  Reverend  Classis 
and  have  secured  the  ordination  of  Do.  Boehm  should,  at  the  first  op- 
portunity, each  in  his  own  congregation,  as  well  as  others,  who  are  simi- 
larly inclined,  kindly  request  and  urge  a  new  voluntary  subscription, 
according  to  their  ability,  for  the  payment  of  Do.  Boehm's  yearly  salary, 
at  such  a  time  as  the  consistories  may  find  best  for  its  payment;  that 
the  ruling  elders  and  deacons  shall  also,  from  time  to  time  as  may  be 
convenient,  use  their  utmost  endeavors  to  collect  from  subscribers  what 
each  has  promised  for  the  support  of  Do.  Boehm  and  to  pay  Do.  Boehm 
his  exact  salary,  at  the  appointed  time. 

That  also,  for  this  reason,  the  Church  Order  as  sent  by  the 
brethren  in  Pennsylvania  to  the  Reverend  Classis,  and  by  them  ap- 
proved and  now  enlarged  by  the  above  mentioned  points,  shall  be 
signed  by  the  newly  elected  members  of  the  consistories  before  they 
enter  upon  their  offices,  for  the  better  performance  of  their  duties, 
namely  to  adhere  strictly  to  the  Heidelberg  Catechism  and  all  the 
Formulas  of  Unity  and  the  Church  Order  of  the  Synod  of  Dort.  And 
in  order  that  every  one  in  his  office  or  station,  may  obey  as  far  as 
possible  the  foregoing  articles,  these  ordinances,  as  now  revised  by  the 


LETTER  OF  1729  179 

Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  shall  be  read  in  public,  at  every  elec- 
tion or  installation  of  a  new  consistory. 

IN  VIEW  THEN  OF  ALL  THE  FOREGOING, 

We,  the  undersigned  elders,  authorized  by  the  Ruling  Con- 
sistories of  the  three  above  mentioned  German  Reformed  Congrega- 
tions of  Falkner  Swamp,  Schipbach  and  Witmarche,  together  with  Do. 
Johann  Philips  Boehm,  hereby  declare : 

That  the  commission,  dated  in  Pennsylvania,  November  4,  1729, 
authorized  us,  in  the  name  of  all,  to  ratify  by  our  subscription,  all  that 
the  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam  has  directed  for  the  ordination 
and  maintenance  of  Do.  Boehm  in  the  holy  ministry  among  us,  for  the 
benefit  of  the  three  congregations,  and  whatever  other  action  is  taken 
and  decided  on,  with  us,  according  to  the  Church  Order,  by  the  min- 
isters or  the  ministerium  of  New  York  in  correspondence  with  us, 
and  to  keep  the  same  always  in  full  force  in  our  congregations. 

We,  therefore,  who  are  upon  this  commission  declare  that  we 
have  carefully  considered  all  the  foregoing,  article  by  article,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  advice  of  the  corresponding  ministers  or  ministerium  of 
New  York,  and  that  we  ratify  and  adopt  it  all,  for  ourselves  and  our 
successors,  and  we  promise  submissively  to  obey  it,  each  in  his  re- 
spective office,  and  by  God's  grace  to  maintain  the  same  inviolably. 

In  testimony  whereof,  we  hereby  subscribe  the  same  with  our 
hands,  as  Commissioners  at  New  York,  November  18,  1729. 

Fridrich  Antes, 
Commissioner  of  Falkner's  Schwamp. 
'  Gabriel  SchuelER, 

Commissioner  of  SchipBach. 
WiLLEM  De  Wees, 
Commissioner  of  Witmarse. 

So  also  in  testimony  of  all  this,  I,  Do.  Johann  Philips  Boehm,  do 
solemnly  declare  that  whatever  therein  concerns  me,  I  will,  with  God's 
help,  perform  to  the  best  of  my  ability,  subscribing  my  name  thereto, 
at  New  York,  November  18,  1729, 

Johann  Philips  Boehm. 

Be  it,  therefore,  known  to  all  hereby,  that  the  above  mentioned 
matter,  declared  by  the  Reverend  Classis  itself  to  be  very  important, 
and  committed  by  them  to  the  consulting  ministers,  Domines  Du  Bois, 
Antonides  and  Boel,  to  be  carried  out;  also  our  letter  to  the  Reverend 
Classis  and  their  reply  to  us;  and  the  foregoing  action  of  the  brethren 
in  Pennsylvania,  with  all  the  details,  were  distinctly  read,  after  prayer, 
in  the  presence  of  the  brethren  from  Pennsylvania,  and  of  Do.  Boehm, 
to  the  Reverend  Consistory  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Congregation,  in 
their  meeting  in  New  York,  on  November  20,  1729. 

And  that  thereupon,  that  Consistory  unanimously  resolved,  that 
the  said  ministers  had  herein  acted  with  strict  regularity,  as  corres- 
pondents, according  to  Church  Rules ;  and  that  inasmuch  as  the  Rev- 


180  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

erend  Classis  had  been  pleased  to  entrust  them  with  such  authority, 
namely,  the  ordaining  of  Domine  Boehm,  on  said  condition,  that  they 
were  under  obligation  to  do  the  same : 

Therefore,  notwithstanding  that  they,  with  the  entire  Consistory, 
by  definite  resolution,  stipulate  that  nothing  of  the  kind  shall  ever  be 
undertaken  or  performed  hereafter,  without  an  express  order  from  the 
Classis : —  still,  upon  the  authority  now  conferred,  the  business  must 
be  formally  consummated  by  them  in  the  presence  of  this  church,  and  in 
the  face  of  any  opposition. 

Be  it  known  then,  that  this  ordination  was  thus  performed  by 
Domine  Henricus  Boel,  and  the  consecration  by  the  laying  on  of  the 
hands  by  Domine  Gualtherus  Du  Bois,  in  the  presence  of  said  Con- 
sistory, publicly,  in  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church  in  New  York,  on 
Sunday  afternoon,  November  23,  1729.  And  that  thereupon,  the  fore- 
named  Consistory  gave  order  to  make  a  minute  in  reference  to  the 
same,  in  testimony  of  the  truth  thereof,  which  should  be  confirmed, 
as  is  proper,  by  the  seal  of  the  Church, — as  is  hereby  done,  at  New 
York,  November  25,  1729,  by  me. 

In  the  Name  and  by  the  Authority  of  the  Reverend  Consistory. 

Henricus  Boel, 

L.  S.  P-  t.  Praeses. 

N.  B.  The  substance  of  the  foregoing  act  with  Do.  Boehm  and 
his  [friends]  on  the  eighteenth  of  November,  and  of  v;hat  was  done 
in  the  Consistory  on  the  twentieth  do.,  was  for  confirmation  of  the 
same,  read  publicly  from  the  pulpit  to  the  congregation  by  Do.  Boel, 
beginning  thus : 

Beloved    in   the   Lord, 

In  order  that  the  Solemn  Service,  unusual  here,  which  we  are 
about  to  perform,  wholly  apart  from  any  seeking  of  our  own,  at  the 
command  of  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  and  under  the  oversight  of  the 
Reverend  Consistory  of  this  congregation,  may,  under  the  blessing  of 
the  Lord,  be  to  edification,  and  not  be  misunderstood :  Be  it  known  to 
you,  &c,  &c. 

[IX.    RECONCILIATION   BETWEEN    DO.   J.   P.   BOEHM   AND 

DO.  G.  M.  WEISS.  EFFECTED  NOVEMBER,  24.  1729, 

AT  NEW  YORK."] 

When  Do.  Johan  Philips  Boehm,  under  the  persistent  pressure 
of  the  three  High  German  Reformed  congregations  at  Falkner's  Swamp, 
Schipbach  and  Wit  Marshe,  in  the  year  1725,  had  assumed  the  minis- 

"The  original  is  in  Liber  A.  pp.  89-90,  of  the  records  of  the  Col- 
legiate Reformed  Church  in  New  York.  A  copy  was  sent  to  Amster- 
dam and  is  now  in  the  Pennsylvania  Portfolio.  Printed  first  in  the 
Mercersburg  Review,  Vol.  XXIII,  pp.  554-557;  also  in  Eccl.  Records 
of  iV.  }'.,  Vol.  IV.  pp.  2484-2487 ;  and  in  Journal  of  Prcsby.  Hist.  Soc, 
Vol.  VI,  pp.  321-324. 


LETTER  OF  1729  181 

terial  office  over  them,  without  ordination,  notwithstanding  the  usual 
custom  of  the  church,  there  arose  in  the  year  1727  a  complaint  re- 
garding this.  Some  in  the  congregation  at  Schipbach  were  led  to  with- 
draw from  the  ministry  of  Do.  Boehm  and  to  accept  as  their  regular 
pastor,  Mr.  Georg  Michael  Weis,  who  had  come  over  from  Germany 
[in  1727]  and  was  recognized  by  them  as  a  regularly  ordained  preacher, 
inasmuch  as  he  had  been  installed  as  pastor  by  the  High  German  Re- 
formed congregation  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia  and  also  at 
Germantown. 

Thereupon  some  estrangement  arose  between  Do.  Johan  Philips 
Boehm  and  Do.  Georg  Michael  Weis.  Meanwhile,  however,  the  Rev- 
erend Classis  of  Amsterdam  approved  of  the  entire  ministerial  work 
of  Do.  Boehm,  done  before  his  ordination,  on  account  of  the  unusual 
desire  of  the  three  congregations  for  him ;  and  the  Reverend  Assembly 
[Classis]  saw  fit  to  authorize  the  Revs.  Gualtherus  Du  Bois  and 
Henricus  Boel  of  New  York  and  Vincentius  Antonides  of  Long  Island, 
whom  they  [the  German  churches]  had  used  to  correspond  with  the 
Reverend  Classis,  to  consummate,  in  their  name,  the  ordination  of  Do. 
Boehm,  according  to  ecclesiastical  usage,  to  silence  all  criticism.  This 
was  done  with  the  full  knowledge  and  approbation  of  the  Reverend 
Consistory  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church  at  New  York,  and  under 
their  oversight,  publicly  in  the  presence  of  the  congregation,  on  No- 
vember 23,  1729,  and  in  the  presence  of  Do.  Weis,  who  had  come  to 
New  York,  at  that  time. 

Therefore  We,  Georg  Michael  Weis  and  Johan  Philips  Boehm, 
together  with  the  Commissioners  of  the  above  named  three  congrega- 
tions of  Do.  Boehm,  upon  the  peace-loving  good  counsel  of  the  three 
Reverend  Ministers,  the  correspondents,  have  jointly  and  heartily  come 
to  this  firm  conclusion  and  obligated  ourselves  to  keep  it,  as  we  hereby 
do,  namely, 

That  the  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam  has  done  well  in  this 
case,  and  the  Reverend  Ministers,  the  correspondents,  have  done  well 
according  to  their  bounden  duty,  in  executing  the  orders  of  the  Rev- 
erend Classis  and  consummating  ecclesiastically  the  ordination  of  Do. 
Boehm. 

That,  out  of  Christian  love  for  the  peace  and  tranquility  of  the 
churches,  we  have  assured  each  other  solemnl}',  with  fraternal  giving  of 
the  hand  to  each  other,  that  we  heartily  forgive  each  other  for  what- 
ever offense  we  may  have  given  and  promise  to  forget  it  without  ever 
bringing  up  again  any  of  our  differences. 

That  Do.  Weis  recognizes  Do.  Boehm  as  the  lawful,  ordained 
and  regular  minister  of  the  three  aforesaid  Reformed  congregations. 
That  Do.  Weis  will  altogether  give  up  Schipbach  and  will  declare  to 
the  congregation  that  he  leaves  it  and  the  other  two  congregations 
to  Do.  Boehm  as  their  only  lawful  minister,  that  he  may  pursue  his 
work  peacefully  in  the  said  three  churches. 

That  henceforth  there  shall  be  a  brotherly  friendship  between  Do. 
Boehm  and  his  churches  and   Do.   Weis.     That  they  will   act   as   ser- 


182  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

vants  of  the  Lord  towards  each  other,  Do.  Weis  for  the  honor  of  Do. 
Boehm's  ministry  and  Do.  Boehm  for  the  honor  of  Do.  Weis'  ministry 
in  Philadelphia  and  Germantown. 

That  whatever  other  Reformed  congregations,  besides  the  three 
of  Do.  Boehm  and  the  two  of  Do.  Weis,  shall  desire  Do.  Boehm  or 
Do.  Weis  or  both  by  turns  for  their  minister,  both  shall  therein  render 
brotherly  aid. 

That  Do.  Weis  declares  his  heartfelt  desire  to  become  subordinate 
to  the  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam  and  requests  the  ministers  who 
are  corresponding,  to  inform  the  Reverend  Classis  to  that  effect.  He 
testifies  that  he  is  ready  and  willing  to  comply  with  their  ecclesiastical 
orders  when  sent  over  to  him.  Also  that  Do.  Weis  obligates  himself 
to  endeavor  to  bring  his  churches  in  Philadelphia  and  Germantown 
into  the  same  subordination.  Furthermore,  that  Do.  Weis  and  Do. 
Boehm  bind  themselves,  if  other  congregations  should  desire  either 
of  them  for  minister  not  to  consent  thereto,  unless  they,  by  their 
consistory  or  consistories  subordinate  themselves  to  the  Reverend 
Classis,  in  order  that  ministers,  consistories  and  congregations  may 
maintain  conformity  therein,  as  is  becoming  in  the  Church. 

That  also  the  Reverend  Qassis  shall  humbly  be  asked  whether  any 
aid  in  money  can  be  obtained  from  Holland  as  a  voluntary  contribution 
for  the  very  needy  congregations  in  Pennsylvania ;  and  that,  whatever 
monies  have  already  been  collected  in  behalf  of  the  congregations  of 
Do.  Weis  in  Philadelphia  and  Germantown,  the  Reverend  Classis  be 
pleased  if  possible,  to  forward  the  same  to  them. 

Furthermore,  Do.  Boehm  with  the  commissioners  of  the  three 
aforesaid  congregations  and  Do.  Weis  together  requested  that  they 
might  hold  and  maintain,  at  every  occasion  which  may  occur,  corres- 
pondence with  the  three  ministers,  Du  Bois,  Antonides  and  Boel,  that 
they  may  conduct  themselves  to  the  best  advantage  of  the  churches.  To 
which  the  three  ministers  gave  their  ready  consent  in  hope  of  God's 
blessing  and  with  His  help. 

Finally,  that  of  all  this,  proper  notice  shall  be  given  by  Do. 
Boehm  and  his  [officers]  and  by  Do.  Weis  and  his  [officers],  in  order 
to  forestall  any  opposition. 

Thus  agreed  to,  in  the  city  of  New  York,  November  24,  1729. 

(Signed  by  each  severally)  : 
Commissioners  of  the  three  congregations : 

Frietrich  Antes,  Georg  Michael  Weiss, 

Gabriel  O.  SchulEr's  mark,        Minister  at  Philadelphia  and 
Willem  Dewees.  Germantown. 

JoHAN  Philips  Boehm, 
Minister   of   the   three   congregations, 
Falkner  Schwam,  Schipbach  and  Witmarch. 

We,  the  undersigned,  upon  the  request  of  the  ministers  and  com- 


LETTER  OF  1729  183 

missioners,  declare  that  the  foregoing  was  thus  enacted  in  our  presence, 

as  witnesses, 

G.  Du  Bois, 
V.  Antonides, 
Henricus  Boel. 

November  20,  1729. 

The  Commissioners  from  the  High  German  Reformed  Christian 
Churches  of  Falkner's  Schwamp,  Schipback  and  Wit  Marshe,  in  Penn- 
sylvania, with  their  Domine,  Johan  Philips  Boehm,  were  admitted  to  a 
hearing  in  our  Consistory.  Their  correspondent,  Domine  Vincentius 
Antonides  of  Long  Island  was  also  present,  besides  Domines  Gualterus 
Du  Bois  and  Henricus  Boel,  our  Ministers. 

After  invoking  the  name  of  the  Lord,  the  particular  business 
about  their  churches  was  introduced.  This  related  to  their  letters  to 
the  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  and  the  replies  of  their  Reverences 
to  the  same;  also  as  to  what  had  further  been  done  in  this  country 
in  this  matter. 

Thereupon  it  was  resolved  unanimously,  in  order  to  guard  so 
unusual  and  remarkable  proceedings  from  discredit,  that  this  whole 
business  with  the  Acts  of  our  (New  York)  Consistory  on  the  matter, 
and  the  accomplishment  of  the  same,  should  be  recorded  in  full  in  a 
certain  Act-Book  of  the  Church.    This  was  done  in  the  Dutch  language. 


[X.    MR.  BOEHM  TO  THE  CLASSIS  OF  AMSTERDAM,  JANU- 
ARY 29,  1730."] 

Very  Reverend  Classis: — 

The  very  gracious  letter  of  your  Reverend  Assembly,  dated 
June  20,  1729,  addressed  to  the  humblest  and  the  least  of  your 
fellow-brethren,  together  with  the  enclosed  letter,  addressed 
to  my  elders  and  brethren  in  the  Lord,  I  duly  received  on  No- 
vember 4th  of  the  same  year.  In  it  I  found,  with  the  greatest 
astonishment  of  a  joyful  heart,  the  glorious  wonders  and  re- 
markable providence  of  the  great  God,  in  dealing  so  mercifully 
with  the  small  body  of  believers  in  this,  yet  wild,  country;  in 
inclining  so  strongly  the  hearts  of  the  Very  Reverend  As- 
sembly toward  us  poor  and  miserable  men  and  in  appointing 
you  so  graciously  to  be  a  mother  to  our  newly-planted,  still 
very  feeble  and  weak,  but  true  Church  of  God,  a  mother  in 

"The  original  letter  of  Boehm,  in  German,  is  preserved  in  the 
archives  of  the  Amsterdam  Classis,  in  the  Pennsylvania  Portfolio.  It 
was  first  printed  by  the  writer  in  the  Journal  of  the  Presb.  Hist.  Soc, 
Vol.  VII,  pp.  24-28. 


184  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

whose  lap  we  can  enjoy  comfort  and  protection,  for  Jesus'  sake. 
And  oh,  that  I  were  able  to  praise  God  sufficiently  for  this ! 
Hence  your  most  submissive  and  humble  fellow-servant  in 
Christ  offers  to  your  Reverend  Assembly  a  dutiful  and  grace- 
ful heart,  wishing  for  you,  on  behalf  of  himself  and  the  con- 
gregations entrusted  to  him,  the  infinite  love  of  the  great  God, 
and  the  unfading  crown  of  eternal  glory  as  your  gracious  re- 
ward. As  regards  himself  he  prays,  with  his  whole  heart,  that 
the  Prince  of  Peace,  for  the  sake  of  his  name,  may  graciously 
fulfil  every  wish,  sent  by  your  Reverend  Assembly  to  your 
most  humble  fellow-servant  in  Christ,  and  that  he  may  so 
equip  his  poor  and  feeble  servant  as  to  enable  him,  with  his 
gracious  assistance,  to  perform  his  service  in  such  a  way  that 
he  may  help  in  extending  his  kingdom  and  hereafter  may  ap- 
pear in  his  presence  without  fear. 

Now,  Most  Reverend  Classis,  the  service  in  the  Gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ  has  been  fully  laid  upon  me  and  bound  upon 
my  soul  through  the  ordination  which  took  place  in  New  York, 
in  accordance  with  your  august  decision,  so  that,  unless  I  want 
to  hear  hereafter  the  terrible  judgment,  I  cannot  withdraw  my 
hand,  so  long  as  God  gives  me  life.  For  this  reason  I  implore 
God,  with  my  whole  heart,  night  and  day,  that,  for  the  sake 
of  His  name  He  will  graciously  sustain  me  under  my  burden, 
in  true  and  sincere  perseverance  in  His  service.  For,  as  your 
Reverend  Assembly  may  sufficiently  infer,  from  all  attending 
circumstances,  my  burden  is  almost  unbearable,  inasmuch  as 
my  days,  and  accordingly  also  the  powers  of  my  body,  are  de- 
clining," so  that  I  am  no  longer  able  to  work  hard  throughout 
the  whole  week  and  on  the  Lord's  days,  etc.,  be  at  my  several 
[preaching]  places,  which  are  far  apart  from  each  other,  in 
order  to  attend  to  the  duties  of  my  office.  Yet,  the  most  im- 
portant thing  must  have  the  preference.^^  ]\Ioreover,  I  had 
very  little  means  when  God  brought  me  into  this  desolate  coun- 
try, so  that  I  was  hardly  able  to  secure  bread  for  myself  and 
for  my  family,  until  I  could,  with  God's  blessing,  obtain  the 

"  This  statement  is  surprising,  as  Boehm  was  not  yet  forty-seven 
years  of  age  in  1730,  when  he  wrote  this  letter.  It  implies  perhaps  that 
he  had  a  weak  constitution. 

"Boehm  means  evidently  his  labor  for  the  support  of  his  family, 
when  he  writes  of  "the  most  important  thing." 


LETTER  OF  1730  185 

same  from  the  soil.  When  I  had  labored  long  enough  upon  my 
land,^°  which  I  had  secured  with  borrowed  money  whose  in- 
terest I  had  to  pay,  and  thought  of  making  a  beginning  in 
paying  off  my  debts,  then  it  was  God's  way  to  select  me,  ac- 
cording to  His  providence,  as  His  servant  in  the  Gospel  of  His 
Son.  From  this  service  I  could  not  consider  myself  released, 
as  has  been  sufficiently  made  known  to  the  Reverend  Classis, 
because  of  the  strong  desire  and  the  persistent  pleading  of  the 
poor,  scattered  sheep  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  had  no  shepherd ; 
hence  I  had  finally  to  submit  to  this  yoke. 

In  this  service  I  have  now  labored  for  four  and  a  half 
years  to  my  utmost  ability,  and  (as  I  can  truthfully  say)  I  have 
received  during  all  this  time  as  my  salary  for  my  great  trouble 
and  neglect  [of  my  farm]  less  than  forty  pounds  rather  than 
more.  Yet  I  dare  not  say  anything,  because  of  the  many 
sects  which  revile  a  minister  most  shamefully  for  receiving  a 
salary ;  and,  because  of  the  great  poverty,  in  which,  at  present, 
most  of  our  people  are  living,  I  cannot  admonish  them,  if  I  do 
not  wish  to  scatter  them  again,  but  must  patiently  allow  it  to 
continue. 

This  has  often  caused  me  to  shed  tears  in  the  solitude, 
when  I  was  on  my  long  and  difficult  journeys,  because  I  could 
hardly  see  how  I  could  get  through,  for  I  have  a  wife  and  six 
children,^"  four  of  them  are  yet  of  tender  age,  while  my  debts 
are  still  increasing,  for  I  must  attend  to  the  duties  of  my  office 
and  neglect  my  work  [on  the  farm].  This  is  the  reason  why  I 
am  unable  to  raise  the  interest,  and  as  a  result  may  lose  my  land 
again. 

Therefore,  your  needy  and  poor  fellow-servant  of  Jesus 
Christ  appeals  humbly  and  submissively  to  the  Reverend  Classis 
with  the  most  earnest  prayer,  that  you  will  remember  him  in 
Christian  mercy  and  according  to  brotherly  love,  and  cheer  him 
with  a  small  contribution.  The  God  of  all  mercy  will  reward 
you  richly,  in  body  and  soul,  according  to  His  grace. 

Most  Reverend  Classis,  I  now  live  in  unwavering  hope, 
that,  after  Almighty  God  had  caused  us  so  wonderfully  to 
seek  the  way  to  the  confirmation  in  my  office,  (in  spite  of  the 

"For  the  land  acquired  by  Boehm  see  p.  145f. 

^  For  the  family  of  Boehm,  see  Chapter  IX  of  his  Life. 


186  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

opposition  which  He  permitted  to  be  made  against  the  service 
forced  upon  me,  which  I  discharged  in  the  fear  of  God)  and 
after  enabling  us  to  find  it,  through  His  fatherly  guidance,  in 
your  Reverend  Classis,  now  our  congregations  will  daily  grow 
and  increase,  under  the  grace  of  our  almighty  protector  and 
through  the  watchful  care  of  His  faithful  servants,  although 
the  mischievous  spirit  does  not  yet  desist  from  attacking  us. 

I  shall  not  fail  obediently  to  report  our  condition  to  the 
Reverend  Classis  from  year  to  year,  according  to  your  com- 
mand, which  will  be  done  this  time  by  your  reverend  cor- 
respondents, the  ministers  of  New  York. 

Commending  your  reverend  and  precious  persons,  to- 
gether with  all  your  families  and  holy  service,  to  the  infinite 
love  of  Jesus,  and  myself  to  the  true  love  originating  from  Him 
and  to  your  favorable  Christian  remembrance,  I  remain,  as 
long  as  I  live. 

Most  Reverend  Classis,  Your  submissive  and    obedient 
servant  and  humble  fellow-worker  in  Jesus  Christ, 

JoHAN  Philips  Boehm, 
Minister  of  the  three  Reformed  Congregations  at  Falckner 
Schwam,  Schiphach  and   Weitmarche. 
Pennsylvania,  in  America,  in 
the  County  of  Philadelphia, 
January  29,  1730. 


[XI.    MR.  BOEHM  AND  HIS  CONSISTORIES  TO  THE  CLASSIS 
OF  AMSTERDAM,  JANUARY  29.  1730."] 

Very  Reverend  Classis: — 

The  favorable  answer,  sent  by  your  Reverences  to  your 
submissive  and  obedient  servants,  dated  December  i,  1728,  has 
been  duly  received  by  us,  to  our  great  joy,  from  the  reverend 
ministers  of  New  York  and  Long  Island,  shortly  after  its  ar- 
rival. We  have  seen  therein  that  our  humble  request,  sub- 
mitted to  the  Reverend  Classis,  has  met  with  a  kind  reception, 

"  The  original  of  this  letter,  in  German,  is  at  Amsterdam,  Penn- 
sylvania Portfolio. 


LETTER  OF  1730  187 

that  our  just  claims,  which  we  had  spread  before  you,  were 
approved  and  taken  to  heart,  and  that  we  were  assured  of  your 
support  in  our  sad  condition.  The  decision  of  the  main  point 
of  our  request  was  postponed,  because  of  its  importance,  to 
the  next  opportune  time.  Meanwhile  we  were  admonished  not 
to  be  vexed  by  our  trials,  but  to  conduct  ourselves  as  men  and 
to  make  use  of  the  means  at  hand  among  us ;  not  to  give  up  our 
[religious]  meetings  in  spite  of  all  opposition  to  this  work  of 
the  Lord.  We  were  assured  that  our  labor  would  not  be  in 
vain  in  the  Lord,  because  our  zeal  was  spent  in  a  good  cause, 
through  which  the  glory  of  God  and  the  Kingdom  of  Jesus 
could  be  promoted.  We  were  further  admonished  to  seek 
guidance  in  the  Word  of  God,  to  let  many  prayers  ascend  to  the 
throne  of  God,  and  in  our  tribulations  put  all  our  trust  in  His 
mercy  and  faithfulness,  for  He  can  and  will  aid  all  those  who 
have  faith  in  Him  and  do  not  give  up  the  work  of  His  hands, 
as  He  has  proved  many  times  that  it  is  He  who  plants  His 
Church  and  preserves  her  in  every  persecution.  We  were  also 
exhorted  not  to  let  our  hands  drop  down,  but  to  wait  for  the 
Lord  and  be  strong  in  Him  that  He  might  make  us  strong. 

These  words  made  our  troubled  hearts  rejoice  again,  in- 
asmuch as  we  could  clearly  see  in  them  the  gracious  and  help- 
ing hand  of  our  dear  heavenly  Father. 

To  strengthen  our  weak  members  the  letters  were  read  as 
soon  as  possible  after  their  receipt,  before  all  the  three  con- 
gregations, with  the  utmost  urgent  exhortation  to  all  our  mem- 
bers for  Jesus'  sake  to  remain  steadfast  and  to  adhere  firmly 
to  the  Church  Order,  established  by  us  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord, 
with  a  sure  confidence  in  the  inestimable  grace  of  the  merciful 
God,  which  He  had  displayed,  as  it  were,  before  our  eyes.  Thus 
we  might  see  how  we  could  be  the  happiest  of  men  in  our 
undertaking,  having  already  shown  us  how  He  inclined  the 
hearts  of  His  faithful  servants  towards  us,  so  that,  for  the 
glory  of  Jesus,  they  willingly  offered  themselves  to  promote  to 
the  best  of  their  ability,  the  further  cultivation  of  this  spiritual 
vineyard  of  the  great  God,  altogether  newly-planted  in  this 
desolate  place. 

It  seemed,  however,  as  if  some  of  our  members,  here  and 
there,  were  very  cold  and  indifferent,  because  of  the  notion 
suggested  to  them,  that,  because  our  minister  was  unordained, 


188  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

and  as  we  had  begun  the  work  on  our  own  initiative,  it  could 
therefore  not  be  accepted  as  Reformed  worship. 

This  continued  until  the  Reverend  Classis  favored  us  most 
graciously  with  a  godly,  ecclesiastical  decree,  by  which  all  our 
doubts  and  anxiety  were  removed,  yea  all  disgraceful  slanders 
against  the  service  of  our  minister,  performed  among  us  in  the 
fear  of  God,  were  entirely  suppressed.  For  this  grace  we  give 
thanks  to  our  God,  we  praise  and  bless  His  holy  name  here  in 
time  and  hereafter  in  eternity. 

The  letter,  which  was  written  by  the  Reverend  Classis  on 
June  20,  1729,  was  received  by  us  through  a  special  messenger 
from  the  Reverend  Ministers  of  New  York  on  November  4th 
of  the  same  year.  It  contained  the  ecclesiastical  resolution, 
passed  by  the  Reverend  Classis,  consisting  of  eight  articles  re- 
garding our  church  affairs  in  this  country  and  the  [ministerial] 
acts,  already  performed  among  us.  It  also  contained  a  humble 
prayer  to  God,  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  in  behalf 
of  us  as  members  of  the  body  of  Jesus,  that  we  might  be 
filled  with  all  wisdom  and  spiritual  knowledge,  that  we  might 
be  strengthened  by  His  strength,  so  that  Jesus  through  faith 
might  dwell  in  our  hearts  and  we  be  rooted  and  built  up  in  His 
love.  It  also  implored  the  divine  blessing  upon  the  ministry 
of  our  beloved  pastor  with  many  desired  fruits,  that  our  con- 
gregations be  crowned  with  much  light,  life  and  spirit,  that 
through  God's  all-sufficient  favor  they  be  adorned,  confirmed, 
increased,  made  perfect  and  prepared  for  His  praise  on  this 
earth.  It  concluded  with  exhortation,  comfort,  admonition 
and  benediction. 

We  could  not  receive  this  letter  without  tears,  because  of 
our  surprise  and  heart-thrilling  joy,  considering  that  the  Rev- 
erend Classis  had  so  graciously  listened  to  the  prayers  of  us 
poor  people,  living  in  such  a  remote  desert,  where  we  hitherto 
seemed  to  be  quite  forsaken  and  without  help  in  this  world,  and 
that  you,  so  graciously  and  with  such  holy  zeal  for  the  King- 
dom of  Jesus  Christ,  have  taken  up  our  cause,  that  it  might  be 
planted  among  us  and  through  us  poor  members  in  this  desolate 
place.  This  great  favor,  which  we  have  received  from  the 
merciful  God  through  His  ministers,  we  consider  ourselves  in 
duty  bound  humbly  to  recognize  with  continual  thanksgiving, 
lying  upon  our  knees  before  His  holy  throne.     Nor  shall  we 


LETTER  OF  1730  189 

cease  praying  before  His  throne,  that  He,  the  rich  and 
sufficient  recompenser,  may  in  His  fatherly  mercy  richly  en- 
dow you  with  all  spiritual  and  bodily  blessings  and  thus  reward, 
here  in  time  and  hereafter  in  eternity,  the  help  extended  and 
the  labor  devoted  to  us  for  Jesus'  sake. 

Very  Reverend  Classis,  we  deem  it  unnecessary  to  report 
at  length,  how  everything  has  been  finished  and  carried  out  by 
the  reverend  ministers  of  New  York,  whom  your  Reverences 
had  qualified  to  act  in  your  name,  (with  whose  orders  we  duly 
and  obediently  complied),  how  the  whole  rite  [of  ordination] 
was  conferred  upon  our  minister  in  New  York,  in  the  presence 
of  the  three  delegates  from  our  midst,  because  the  Reverend 
Classis  will  find  all  this  clearly  and  at  sufficient  length  in  the 
submissive  report,  made  by  your  correspondents,  the  ministers 
of  New  York.^- 

Very  Reverend  Classis !  Beside  our  humble  and  duti- 
ful expression  of  gratitude  for  all  that  we  have  received,  we 
take  the  liberty  humbly  to  set  forth  to  your  Reverences  our 
poverty,  in  the  assured  confidence  that  you  will  not  take  this  ill 
of  your  children,  so  lovingly  adopted  by  you,  who  are  still  so 
feeble  and  unable  to  help  themselves.  Especially  since  your 
Reverences  have  taken  us  so  willingly  under  your  protection 
and  have  assured  us  of  your  counsel  and  help. 

Hence,  Most  Reverend  Classis,  our  very  hum.ble  petition 
is  this :  The  foundation  of  our  true  worship,  according  to  the 
Reformed  religion  and  doctrine,  has  been  laid  in  this  desolate 
region  by  the  Reverend  Classis,  and  this  first  of  all  in  our  three 
congregations.  Our  Church  Order  [constitution]  has  been  ap- 
proved and  ordained  as  useful  and  lawful,  in  accordance  with 
which  we  shall,  with  the  help  of  God,  always  live,  as  also  in 
accordance  with  the  Church  Order  of  the  Synod  of  Dort.  Our 
minister,  whom  we  had  chosen,  and  whose  ordination  we  had 
requested  so  humbly  of  the  Reverend  Classis,  has  already  been 
ordained  in  accordance  with  your  august  decision.  Thus  God's 
spiritual  vineyard  is  fully  planted.  For  this  may  the  name  of 
the  great  God  ever  be  praised. 

Now  we  need  most  urgently  for  each  congregation  a  house 
of  God,  or  a  fixed  place  of  assembly  and  also  a  dwelling  for 

*"  See  next  letter,  pp.  192-197. 


190  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

our  minister.  To  wander  here  and  there,  from  one  house 
or  barn  to  another  is  too  troublesome  and  also  detrimental  to 
the  divine  service,  because  of  the  ignorance  of  some  persons 
in  whose  houses  it  is  held,  nor  can  one  person  be  expected  to 
allow  the  services  to  be  held  always  in  his  house.  Of  ourselves 
we  are  unable  to  begin,  much  less  to  carry  out,  even  the  least, 
because  almost  all  of  us  are  newcomers  in  this  poverty-stricken 
land  and  are  burdened  with  our  own  debts.  For  even  the  small 
amount  which  each  member  subscribed  and  promised  for  the 
support  of  our  minister,  cannot  be  collected,  although  in  the 
congregation  at  Falckner  Schwam  it  amounts  only  to  8  lbs. 
I7sh.,  at  Schipbach  5  lbs.,  5sh.,  and  at  Weitmarsche  4  lbs.  — sh., 
in  all  only  18  lbs.  2sh.  But  with  many  even  this  remains  un- 
paid, because  of  poverty,  so  that  he  [the  minister],  like  all  of 
us,  must  patiently  support  himself  by  the  labor  of  his  hands. 
With  this  paltry  contribution  he  is  not  even  able  to  hire  a 
servant  to  do  his  work,  that  he  might  attend  to  the  duties  of 
his  office  only. 

With  firm  reliance  upon  God,  the  Father  of  all  mercy  and 
upon  Christ  His  Son  our  spiritual  ruler  and  king,  we  poor  mem- 
bers address  ourselves  to  the  Reverend  Classis  as  to  the  faith- 
ful servants  of  God,  and  to  all  true  members  of  the  body  of 
Christ,  with  the  urgent  request  to  cheer  us  with  a  Christian  and 
charitable  contribution  from  the  abundance  with  which  the 
merciful  Father  has  blessed  them.  We  ask  you  to  consider 
that  this  request  is  not  made  for  our  profit,  but  for  the  glory 
of  God  and  the  praise  of  the  name  of  Jesus.  We  live  in  the 
sure  hope  that  the  same  God  for  whose  glory  alone  we  ask  it, 
will  with  His  spirit  strongly  remind  and  convince  the  hearts 
of  all  those  who  know  and  love  Him,  that  such  aid  will  not  be 
lost,  but  will  be  a  sacrifice  pleasing  to  Him,  for  which  a  be- 
lieving soul  will  be  rewarded  a  thousand  fold  here  in  time  and 
yonder  in  eternity. 

We,  therefore,  humbly  ask  the  Reverend  Classis  to  send 
whatever  the  Lord  will  graciously  communicate  to  us,  through 
our  fellow-believers,  to  the  reverend  ministers  of  New  York 
and  to  appoint  the  same  to  act  as  our  supervisors,  in  the  name 
of  the  Reverend  Classis,  whose  good  counsel  we  promise 
obediently  to  follow.  We  also  pledge  ourselves  and  promise 
herewith  and  by  virtue  of  this,  as  we  have  done  hitherto,  and 


LETTER  OF  1730  191 

as  has  been  established  by  the  reverend  corresponding  minis- 
ters, to  obey  in  all  religious  matters  every  ecclesiastical  reso- 
lution of  the  Reverend  Classis. 

Herewith  we  faithfully  commend  your  Reverences,  as 
our  exalted  patrons,  your  precious  persons,  families  and  sa- 
cred services  to  the  powerful  hand  of  our  dear  heavenly 
Father,  and  ourselves,  with  renewed  expressions  of  gratitude 
and  a  repetition  of  our  most  humble  request,  to  your  gracious 
protection  and  love.  Praying  for  an  early,  favorable  and  grati- 
fying answer,  we  are  and   remain, 

Very  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  our 
Very  Reverend  \Brethren  and  Fathers  in 
Christ.  Your  humblest  and  least  servants, 
fellow-brethren  and  children  in  the  Lord, 

JoHAN  Philips  Boehm, 
Pastor  of  the  above  mentioned  three 
congregations  at  Falckner  Schwam, 
Schipbach  and  Weitmars. 
Pennsylvania,  in  America, 
January  29,  1730. 

[Falkner  Swamp :] 
Fridrich  Antes,  Bastian  Reiffschneider," 

Hans  Wolffmiller, 
[Skippack:]  [Whitemarsh :] 

Hans  Meyer/'  Willem  Dewees," 

Gabriel  O.  Schuler's  mark,^^    Johannes  X  Rebenstock, 
La^nert  Spaer,  Isack  Dilback, 

LORENTZ   BlNGEMAN.^®  LUDWIG    KnAUSS,^^ 

Elders  and  Deacons  of  the  three  above  mentioned 
congregations. 

"The  farm  of  Hans  Mej'cr  adjoined  in  1735  that  of  Mr.  Boehm, 
see  Heckler,  History  of  Lower  Salford  Township,  p.  4. 

"  In  1734,  Sebastian  Reifschneider  paid  quit-rent  on  100  acres 
in  Hanover  Township,  Philadelphia  County;  see  Rupp,  Thirty  Thousand 
Names,  p.  474. 

"Gabriel  Schueler  settled  in  Skippack  at  least  as  early  as  1718 
(see  p.  25).  In  1734  he  obtained  patents  for  four  adjoining  tracts,  of 
about  425  acres,  in  Lower  Salford  Township.  In  July,  1728,  he  was 
one  of  the  leaders  who  petitioned  the  Classis  for  Boehm's  ordination. 
In  November  of  1728,  he  was  one  of  the  three  delegates  present  in 


192  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

[XII.    THE   NEW  YORK  MINISTERS   TO   THE  CLASSIS   OF 

AMSTERDAM  REGARDING  THE  ORDINATION  OF  MR. 

BOEHM   IN   NEW  YORK,  APRIL  21,   1730.'»] 

New  York,  April  21,  1730. 

Reverend,  Devout  and  Very  Learned  Gentlemen. 

Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam. 
Very  Reverend  Sirs,  Fathers  and  Brethren  in  Christ  Jesus: — 

Your  Reverences'  esteemed  letters  of  December  1,  1728,  and  June 
20,  1729,  sent  to  us  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bakker,  came  to  hand,  together  with 
the  enclosed  letters  to  Do.  Boehm  and  to  the  Brethren  in  Pennsylvania, 
which  we  forwarded  to  them. 

In  obedient  compliance  with  your  Reverences'  letter  of  qualifi- 
cation, wherewith  you  have  been  pleased  to  honor  us  in  this  affair,  we 
have  taken  up  and  publicly  carried  out  your  directions,  which,  as  we 
hope,  you  will  learn  to  your  entire  satisfaction  from  the  enclosed  au- 
thentic document  No.  A^  (to  which  is  attached  Do.  Boehm's  own  sig- 

New  York  at  Boehm's  ordination.  In  1735,  he  assisted  Boehm  in  the 
purchase  of  the  Skippack  church  land  (see  p.  60).  When  the  Old 
Goshenhoppen  Reformed  Church  was  built  in  1744,  Gabriel  Schuler 
and  wife  donated  the  pulpit.  In  1770,  he  was  a  resident  of  Frederick 
Township.  He  and  his  wife  Catherine,  Margaret  Shuler,  Elizabeth 
Shuler,  John  Shuler  and  William  Shuler  are  buried  in  the  burying 
grounds  which  belonged  to  Reiff's  Church.  See  Heckler,  History  of 
Lower  Salford  Township,  pp.  183-186. 

'"In  1730,  Jacob  Reiff  sold  100  acres  of  his  farm  on  the  Little 
Branch  of  the  Skippack  to  Lawrence  Bingeman,  who,  however,  lived 
only  three  years  on  this  tract,  when  he  died.  See  Heckler,  1.  c,  p.  113. 
On  May  10,  1728,  Lorentz  Bingeman  signed  a  petition  of  the  inhabi- 
tants near  Falkner  Swamp  and  Goshenhoppen.  addressed  to  Governor 
Gordon.  See  Nead,  The  Pennsylvania-German  in  the  Settlement  of 
Maryland,  Lancaster,  1914,  p.  41. 

"  About  William  De  Wees,  John  Rebenstock  and  Isaac  Dilbeck, 
?ee  pp.  21-24. 

^' Ludwig  Knauss  (Knoss)  was  married  to  Anna  Margaretha 
Gorlach  in  Germany.  He  lived  at  Tiltelsheim  in  the  Wetterau,  where 
his  son,  Sebastian  Henry,  was  born  October  6,  1714.  He  emigrated 
with  his  family  to  Pennsylvania  in  1723.  In  1734,  he  paid  quit-rent 
on  100  acres  in  Whitemarsh  Township.  See  Rupp,  Thirty  Thousand 
Names,  p.  478.  His  son  married  Anna  Catharine  Transue  on  January 
1,  1741.  After  his  marriage  the  son  settled  at  Macungie  where  he  be- 
came one  of  the  founders  of  the  Moravian  congregation  at  Emaus.  See 
Reincke,  Register  of  Members  of  the  Moravian  Church,  p.  109. 

'"The  original  is  in  the  Amsterdam  archives,  Pennsylvania  Port- 
folio. 

'"Printed  above  pp.  177-180. 


LETTER  OF  1730  1&3 

nature,  as  well  as  those  of  the  brethren  commissioned  from  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  also  an  authentic  copy  of  the  acts  of  the  Reverend  Consistory 
of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Congregation  in  New  York).  The  Reverend 
Consistory,  together  with  the  Brethren  from  Pennsylvania  thought  it 
best  to  send  this  to  your  Reverences,  it  being  a  Classical  matter,  to- 
gether with  the  necessary  report,  in  accordance  with  your  Rev- 
erences' orders,  all  of  which  has  had  the  full  approval  of  all  well- 
meaning  persons  here. 

It  is  true  that  Do.  Weiss  had  become  the  head  of  the  op- 
ponents of  Do.  Boehm,  and,  since  your  letter  regarding  this  had  be- 
come known,  had  undertaken  in  more  than  one  manner  to  write  to  us 
against  Do.  Boehm,  in  such  a  way  as  if  we  had  taken  sides.  But  we 
answered  the  complaints,  one  by  one,  in  various  letters,  so  that  finally 
his  Reverence,  of  his  own  accord,  came  himself  to  the  ordination  of 
Do.  Boehm,  and,  after  we  had  heard  and  answered  everything  in  the 
presence  of  Do.  Boehm  and  his  delegates,  he  was  present  at  the  public 
ordination  of  Do.  Boehm.  He  also  confessed  to  us  his  sorrow  about 
that  which  he  and  his  adherents  had  undertaken  against  it  and  ex- 
pressed his  readiness  to  give  Christian  satisfaction  and  make  a  com- 
plete reconciliation.  But,  having  seen  our  conduct  in  church  affairs, 
he  expressly  requested  us  three  ministers,  just  as  Do.  Boehm  and  his 
delegates  asked  for  their  own  respective  congregations,  that  we  should 
promise  him  also  to  be  and  remain  his  correspondents. 

Against  this  we  presented  our  objections  at  length,  namely  that 
we  had  our  hands  more  and  more  full  of  work  in  our  own  churches. 

That  we  also  incur  manj'  expenses  through  outside  corres- 
pondence, by  reason  of  postage,  paying  for  lodging  or  entertainment 
day  after  day  from  morning  till  evening  in  our  own  homes  (having 
been  very  rarely  elsewhere)  and  that  frequently  many  commissioners 
come  at  the  same  time,  who, — because  of  their  lack  of  acquaintance 
with  New  York,  or  other  good  opportunity,  or  because  they  cannot 
collect  any  money  among  the  widely  scattered  inhabitants,  or  through 
poverty  (as  is  mostly  the  case  with  new  congregations  in  a  foreign 
country)  are  unable  to  pay  their  expenses, — come  frequently  at  a  time 
most  inopportune  for  us  and  ask  that,  because  of  their  miserable  con- 
dition or  their  great  distance  from  home,  we  might  help  them  as 
speedily  as  possible,  while  their  church  affairs,  about  which  they  ask 
our  assistance,  have  often  never  been  reviewed,  are  without  parallel, 
very  difficult,  much  involved  and  contain  far  reaching  possibilities. 
That  it  causes  us  much  trouble  and  thought,  to  secure  the  necessary 
information  regarding  all  these  things,  and  frequent  consultations,  in 
order  to  obtain  if  possible  the  correct  impression  of  the  affair  and 
what  is  necessary  to  be  done  or  not  to  be  done,  so  that  we  can  give 
good  churchly  advice  to  those  that  are  perplexed.  That,  being  com- 
pelled to  be  busy  with  outside  affairs  till  late  at  night,  and  tired  with 
these  things,  we  must  take  up  at  night  and  at  unseasonable  hours  the 
study  for  our  own  pulpits  and  thereby  lose  our  own  rest,  as  also 
through   our    solicitude    (being   unused   to   this   work   and   having   no 


194  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

brotherly  Classical  counsel  at  hand),  to  settle  everything  to  the  best 
advantage  for  the  Low  Dutch  Reformed  Churches  here,  or  at  least  to 
escape  unjust  and  harsh  censure,  such  as  we  have  already  experienced. 

Further,  that  we  must  continue  to  regard  the  outside  corres- 
pendence  as  too  hard  for  us,  because  your  Reverences  yourselves,  al- 
though well  supplied  with  good  counsel,  regarded  the  Pennsylvania 
affair  as  too  important  to  decide  it  off  hand,  and  yet  meanwhile  the 
commissioners  of  the  distant  churches  give  us  no  rest,  but  implore 
us  in  person  and  through  letters  to  set  them  right  in  one  way  or  another 
and,  because  there  is  danger  in  delay,  to  give  them  a  decision  for  the 
tranquility  of  their  churches. 

That  we  are  also  conscious  that  we  have  not  aimed  for  inde- 
pendence from  your  Reverences  in  anything,  but  have  written  in  every 
case  with  the  express  condition  of  dutiful  submission  to  your  Rever- 
ences, as  your  most  loyal  servants,  which  we  have  shown  in  this  as  at 
every  other  opportunity  throughout  all  these  years  in  our  holy  service, 
and  have  always  testified  to  our  strictest  adherence  to  your  Rev- 
erences and  have  also  endeavored,  wherever  it  was  possible,  to  unite 
the  outside  churches  with  us  and  to  get  them  to  maintain  more  and 
more  the  best  harmony  against  schismatic  churches  and  their  elders, 
and,  where  new  obstacles  arise,  to  provide  against  them  always  in 
future  authorizations  of  calls  through  new  articles,  which  seem  best 
to  us  for  the  tranquility  (of  the  churches).  Thus  far,  however,  it  has 
had  this  result  in  this  country,  that  those  who  received  their  pro- 
motion neither  through  a  call  from  the  commissioners  of  your  Rev- 
erend Assembly,  nor  through  the  approval  of  the  Reverend  Classis 
of  Amsterdam,  nor  desire  to  obtain  it  in  this  country,  have  been 
opposed  by  us  wherever  possible,  inasmuch  as  we  wish  to  help  none 
except  they  offer  submission  to  your  Reverences.  Thereby  we  come 
into  collision  with  their  adherents,  who  endeavor,  in  order  to  further 
their  own  aims,  to  get  the  correspondence  away  from  us  and  into  their 
own  hands  and  thereby  alienate  the  congregations  gradually  from 
your  Reverences.  That  thus  far  seems  to  be  our  reward  on  earth  for 
all  our  expenses,  endeavors,  exertions  and  discouragements  through 
new  difficulties  and  for  all  our  help,  by  which  we  desire  to  advance  the 
true  welfare  of  the  Church. 

Further  that  we,  especially  since  the  Raretan  affair,  live  here  in 
continual  apprehension,  whether,  having  given  advice  at  the  request  of 
the  perplexed,  your  Reverences  will  stand  by  us  or  by  our  opponents 
and  their  elders.  Having  consulted  with  each  other  regarding  this, 
we  agreed  to  ask  your  Reverences  for  an  order,  that,  in  case  we  were 
asked  for  advice,  counsel  and  help,  we  should  not  make  any  efforts 
in  affairs  outside  of  our  churches,  but  should  keep  away  from  all 
outside  affairs.  Thus  we  hoped  to  be  freed  in  future  from  all  ex- 
pensive efforts  as  well  as  from  malicious  expressions  against  us. 
About  which,  God  knows,  we  had  such  a  bad  quarrel,  but  if  we  had 
not,  and  had  left  the  doings  of  Do.  Frelinghuisen  and  his  elders  go  on 
unchallenged,  most  if  not  all  the  German  churches  here  would  have 


LETTER  OF  1730  195 

been  miserably  divided.  Now,  although  it  might  be  better  in  New 
York,  yet  the  congregation  here  has  been  kept  in  a  better  state  of  peace 
than  almost  all  the  rest. 

For  these  reasons  we  declared  to  both  Do.  Boehm  and  Do.  Weis, 
that  having  ordained  Do.  Boehm  upon  the  orders  of  your  Reverences, 
and  both  of  them  being  present  and  ready  to  be  reconciled,  that  we 
would  assist  them  in  this,  but,  inasmuch  as  our  efforts  and  expenses, 
made  here  for  the  well-being  of  the  Low  Dutch  churches  only,  and  in 
order  to  maintain  the  ecclesiastical  authority  of  your  Reverences,  were 
apparently  sustained  so  poorly,  we  confessed  that  we  were  tired  to 
make  further  exertions  and  would  rather  wait  to  find  out  whether 
your  Reverences  were  convinced  that  we  or  our  opponents  were 
standing  up  for  your  Reverences  and  therefore  for  the  true  well-being 
of  the  churches  here. 

Yet  both  Do.  Boehm  and  Do.  Weis  persisted,  for  the  sake  of 
mutual  reconciliation,  upon  their  request  that  we  should  promise  them 
our  correspondence  and  consider  the  fact  how  one-sided  people  would 
regard  us  in  our  sincerity  for  the  Church  and  hence  for  your  Rev- 
erences. That  Do.  Boehm  and  his  people  had  addressed  all  their 
letters  to  your  Reverences  and  upon  this  condition,  which  we,  follow- 
ing our  custom,  had  accepted  in  all  our  counsels  and  letters,  namely 
with  submission  to  your  Reverences'  decision,  and  not  otherwise  in 
any  case.  That  they  did  not  wish  their  own  desires  to  be  reported  to 
your  Reverences  as  their  own,  and  that,  in  compliance  with  your 
Reverences'  resolution  regarding  the  ordination,  the  answer  had  been 
sent  to  us,  without  mentioning  our  names,  in  the  capacity  of  their 
correspondents,  and  that  thus  they  could  ask  all  the  more  easily  for 
the  continuation  of  that  which  they  thought  had  been  of  such  benefit 
to  them  and  to  the  congregations  of  the  Lord  and  which  had  been  fa- 
vored by  your  Reverences.  Do.  Weis  declared  in  addition  that  his 
Reverence  also  had  concluded  from  our  letters  to  Pennsylvania,  re- 
garding this  matter,  and  from  reports  currtsnt  there  and  at  Raretans, 
regarding  the  differences  pending  there,  as  well  as  from  the  conversa- 
tions with  us  regarding  these  things,  that  it  was  very  necessary  for 
the  peace  and  well-being  of  the  churches,  for  himself  to  enjoy  our 
correspondence  also,  which  he  urged  upon  us,  in  order  to  secure  a  com- 
plete reconciliation  and  thus  to  promote  more  successfully  the  real 
well-being  of  the  churches. 

Thus,  Reverend  Gentlemen,  against  our  intentions,  we  were  forced 
to  promise  them  again  our  correspondence;  but  not  otherwise  than 
with  full  submission  to  your  Reverences.  Wherefore  we  submit  here- 
with to  you  in  document,  marked  No.  B.,  according  to  mutual  agree- 
ment, a  faithful  copy  of  the  articles  of  reconciliation,  made  by  them 
voluntarily,  and  their  submission  to  your  Reverences,  with  humble 
request  that  you  will  grant  your  favorable  approval  and  assistance 
to  whatever  you  may  consider,  for  good  reasons,  as  right  and  proper. 
Of  this  document  No.  B,  as  well  as  of  No.  A,  we  gave  to  both,  upon 
their  request,  authentic  copies,  in  order  that  each  might  conduct  him- 


196  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

self  accordingly  in  his  field.'^'^ 

Meanwhile  we  leave  and  respectfully  commend  everything  to 
your  Reverences'  sanctified  wisdom  and  compassionate  care  for  our 
churches,  with  dutiful  request  to  let  us  know  what  has  been  approved 
by  your  Reverences  and  what  not,  in  order  that  we  can  conform  to  it 
as  much  as  possible,  so  that,  if  God  spares  our  lives  in  the  holy  ser- 
vice, your  Reverences  may  see  more  and  more  in  this  affair  as  in  other 
cases  our  continued  disinclination  from  supposed  independence,  and 
from  all  intercourse  with  the  congregations  for  the  sake  of  personal 
motives.  Now,  whether  or  not  we  shall  hear  from  you  at  length  the 
complaints  brought  in  against  us  (as  you  sent  them  to  Do.  Freling- 
huisen  for  him  to  answer)  we  shall  lay  bare  the  case  of  such  com- 
plainant and  our  conduct  therein  in  such  a  manner  that  your  Reverences 
will  be  able  to  judge  whether  we  or  he  disturbs  the  church  and  whether 
he  encourages  division  for  the  sake  of  filthy  gain  and  whether  we  on 
the  contrary  do  not  work  for  the  common  interests  of  the  Church 
and  in  order  to  comply  with  good  conscience  with  the  Church  Order. 
Thus  we  hope  for  a  brotherly  interpretation  of  our  words  and  a 
churchly  defense  of  ourselves  against  the  apparently  wrong  undertak- 
ings of  our  opponents. 

Enclosed  are  also  the  letters  of  Do.  Boehm  and  his  consistories, 
sent  to  us  with  the  request  to  forward  them.  From  Do.  Weis  no 
letter  addressed  to  your  Reverences,  such  as  we  advised  him,  has  come 
to  hand.  We  are  uncertain  as  to  the  cause.  From  Do.  Boehm  and 
his  [consistories]  we  received  letters  this  spring,  that  the  seceders 
there  [at  Skippack]  had  not  yet  been  induced  to  peace,  although  both 
Do.  Boehm  and  Weis  had  worked  toward  that  end.  Yet,  that  in 
time  they  seemed  gradually  to  settle  down  to  quietness  and  a  general 
reconciliation.  Hence  the  supposition  is  that  Do.  Weis  is  perhaps  wait- 
ing with  his  letter  to  your  Reverences,  until  he  has  brought  his 
churches  also  into  the  promised  subordination  to  your  Reverences. 

We  beg  your  pardon  that  we  have  written  more  at  length.  It 
was  in  hope  that  our  conduct  might  become  clear  to  your  Reverences, 
so  that  you  might  learn  if  it  was  according  to  the  thoughts  your 
esteemed  letters,  regarding  the  Raretan  affair,  expressed  to  our  sur- 
prise rather  elaborately.  About  this  we  wrote  a  short  letter  to  your 
Reverences  in  January,  1728,  but  have  not  received  an  answer  to  it 
thus  far. 

We  ask  again  submissively  that  you  will  not  understand  us  in  any 
other  way  than  in  accordance  with  what  is  really  our  aim,  namely  to 
oppose,  with  the  help  of  God,  the  harmful  schismatics  and  their  elders 
(whatever  wrong  or  misinterpretation  we  may  suffer  on  their  account) 
to  the  largest  possible  advantage  of  the  Church.  Thus  our  firm  ad- 
herence to  your  Reverences  will  appear  in  every  possible  way,  in 
order  that,  wherever  we  can,  we  may  promote  the  honor  of  God  and 
serve  His  Church  to  your  Reverences'  full  satisfaction. 

^"^  Document,  No.  B,  is  printed  above,  pp.  180-183. 


LETTER  OF  1730  197 

Expecting  your  Reverer.ces'  favorable  replies  and  protection,  we 
remain  with  the  most  tender  affection  of  our  hearts  and  the  most 
fervent  wish  to  God,  the  Father  of  all  grace,  for  the  most  prosperous 
outcome  of  all  efforts  for  the  upbuilding  of  Zion's  fallen  walls  and  for 
all  blessings  upon  your  reverend  persons,  families  and  most  important 
church  offices.  We,  who  subscribe  ourselves  with  all  true  reverence 
and  respectful  submission, 

Very  Reverend  Gentlemen,   Highly  Esteemed  Fathers 

and  Brethren  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 

Your  Reverences' 

Most   submissive   servants   and   troubled   brethren 

in    the   Lord, 

G.  Du  Bois."  V.  AntonidEs." 

Henricus  Boel." 

"  Gualtherus  Du  Bois  was  born  at  Streefkerk,  Holland,  in  1671 ; 
licensed  by  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  April  5,  1695;  ordained  by  said 
Classis  June  1,  1699;  came  to  New  York  in  1699;  pastor  of  Dutch 
(Collegiate)  Reformed  Church,  New  York,  1699-1751;  died  October  9, 
1751.  He  was  an  able  man,  an  excellent  preacher,  kind  in  spirit  and 
catholic  in  his  attitude  to  other  churches,  a  pillar  of  strength  for  the 
Reformed  Church  of  New  York.  He  was  greatly  interested  in  the 
German  Reformed  churches  of  Pennsylvania.  He  assisted  Boehm  in 
many  ways  and  welcomed  Schlatter  in  1746.  See  Corwin,  Manual  of 
the  Reformed  Church  in  America,  4th  ed.,  pp.  438-442. 

"  Vincentius  Antonides,  born  in  1670 ;  pastor  at  Bergen  in  Fries- 
land,  Holland,  169.-1705;  came  to  America  in  1705;  pastor  at  Bushwick, 
Flatbush,  Flatlands,  Brooklyn,  New  Utrecht,  Gravesend,  1705-1744. 
also  at  Jamaica,  1705-1741 ;  died  July  18,  1744.  He  passed  through 
many  severe  trials  and  troubles,  but  preserved  throughout  a  kind  and 
charitable  spirit.     See  Corwin,  1.  c,  p.  298f. 

"  Henricus  Boel,  born  at  Amsterdam  in  1692 ;  matriculated  in 
Leyden  University,  September  17,  1712 ;  pastor  at  New  York,  1713- 
1754;  died  June  27,  1754.  He  was  more  of  a  controversialist  than  his 
colleague,  opposing  violently  the  revivalistic  methods  of  Frelinghuisen, 
at  Raritan,  N.  J.     See  Corwin,  1.  c,  p.  329. 


198  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

[XIII.    MR.  BOEHM  TO  THE  CLASSIS  OF  AMSTERDAM,  NO- 
VEMBER 12,  1730.*"] 

Very  Reverend  Classis: — 

All  that  the  Consistory  of  the  congregation  of  Schipbach  has 
submissively  reported  to  the  Reverend  Ministers  of  New  York 
concerning  the  conduct  of  Mr.  George  Michael  Weis,  is  shown 
in  the  enclosed  letter,  marked  A,  to  which  we  received  an 
answer,  dated  July  17,  1730,  that  at  present  no  opportunity 
existed  for  sending  the  same  to  the  Reverend  Classis,  and  that 
they  did  not  know  of  such  an  opportunity,  but  would  let  the 
matter  rest  until  next  spring.  That  such  a  report  was  neces- 
sary and  obligatory  appears  from  the  agreement  sent  to  the 
Reverend  Classis  by  the  Reverend  Ministers  at  New  York.  In 
utter  disregard  of  the  Reverend  Classis  and  of  the  ministers  of 
New  York,  this  agreement  was  broken  by  Mr.  Weis  and  thus 
the  harmful  division  in  this  congregation  has  been  maintained 
up  to  the  present  time.  The  reasons  why  the  Reverend  Minis- 
ters desire  that  the  Reverend  Classis  take  notice  of  the  actions 
of  Mr.  Weis  are  seen  in  the  enclosed  letter,  marked  B.  That 
this  Mr.  Weis  has  been  the  first  disturber  and  enemy  of  the 
divine  service  here,  begun  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  will  be 
sufficiently  evident  from  the  copies  of  the  enclosed  letters, 
marked  [C  and]  D,  which,  written  in  the  original  by  his  own 
hand,  were  laid  before  the  Reverend  Ministers  of  New  York 
and  are  still  in  my  possession.  Moreover  the  enclosed  paper, 
marked  E,  shows  what  other  arbitrary  things  he  attempted  on 
his  arrival  in  this  country. 

But  now  he  has  again  forsaken  our  former  fellow-mem- 
bers, whom  he  led  away  from  good  order,  and,  although  he 
promised  to  return  to  them,  there  are  few  who  believe  that  he 
will  ever  be  seen  in  this  wild  country,  if  his  plans  and  those 
of  his  companion,  Jacob  Reiff,^'  miscarry. 

"The  original  letter,  in  German,  is  in  the  Amsterdam  archives. 

"Jacob  Reiff  was  the  youngest  son  of  John  George  ReifF  and  of 
his  wife,  Anna  Maria.  He  was  born  November  15,  1G98.  The  first 
reference  to  him  in  Pennsylvania  is  on  July  2,  1723,  when  he  is  men- 
tioned in  the  diary  of  Gerhart  Clemens,  of  Skippack.  See  Heckler, 
History  of  Lozi'cr  Salford  Township,  p.  98.  On  December  1,  1727, 
Jacob  Reiff,  of  Skippack,  yeoman,  bought  three  tracts  of  land,  contain- 


LETTER  OF  1730  199 

Meanwhile  no  peace  can  yet  be  expected,  for  there  arrived 
this  fall  another  man,  named  Miller,*^  whose  father  is  pastor  in 
the  Electoral  Palatinate,  under  the  inspectorate  of  Kaisers- 
lautern.  He  likewise  avails  himself  of  the  liberty  of  this 
country,  and  so  far  has  been  preaching  to  the  seceders  at  Schip- 
bach,  as  the  enclosed  letter,  marked  F,  shows.  He  promised 
them,  as  also  the  people  in  Philadelphia  and  Germantown,  to 
take  the  place  of  Mr.  Weis  until  the  latter  returns.  In  order  to 
carry  this  out  successfully,  he  betook  himself  to  the  Presby- 
terians in  Philadelphia*^  (because  he  is  unordained),  that  he 
might  be  ordained  by  them.  This  he  told  me  himself  in  my 
house  on  October  19th,  saying  that,  in  the  preceding  week,  he 
had  handed  to  them  his  confession  of  faith  concerning  the 
points  they  had  asked  of  him,  and  expressing  the  hope  that  the 
affair  [of  the  ordination]  would  be  concluded  in  the  following 
week,  which,  as  far  as  I  know,  has  not  yet  taken  place. 

I  warned  him  in  a  friendly  way  and  advised  him  to  go 
to  the  Reverend  Ministers  of  New  York  and  endeavor  to  have 
his  ordination  take  place  in  accordance  with  the  Church  Order 
of  the  Reformed  Church,  whereby  it  would  stand  a  better  test 
before  the  world.  To  this  he  replied,  that  such  a  course  was 
far  too  circuitous  for  him,  and  if  he  could  gain  his  end  by  a 
shorter  way  he  would  take  it,  as  there  was  no  great  difference. 
Moreover,  he  said,  he  would  like  to  know  who  had  given  au- 
thority to  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam  to  rule  over  the  Church 
in  this  country.  He  thought  the  King  of  England  was  more 
important  that  the  Classis  of  Holland.  Then  I  answered,  that 
it  was  asking  too  much  who  had  given  her  the  authority,  and 
that  I  did  not  care  anything  about  that,  but  that  I  believed,  if 

ing  546  acres.  The  plantation  on  which  he  himself  lived  was  located 
near  the  south-eastern  corner  of  the  present  Lower  Salford  Township, 
near  the  Skippack  Creek.  This  was  the  property  upon  which  the  Re- 
formed church  was  erected.  See  Heckler,  1.  c,  p.  99;  also  p.  lU.  A 
series  of  articles  on  "Jacob  Reiff  of  Salford"  was  published  by  Mr. 
Dotterer  in  the  ScJnvenksville  Item,  beginning  September  4,  1885.  See 
Historical  Notes  of  Montgomery  County,  a  book  of  clippings  of  Mr. 
Dotterer's  articles  in  the  library  of  the  Pennsylvania  Historical  Society, 
pp.  105-113. 

*"This  is  John  Peter  Miller.    For  a  sketch  of  his  life,  see  p.  44ff. 

*'See  letter  of  the  Rev.  Jedidiah  Andrews,  and  Miller's  own 
account  of  his  ordination,  pp  45-46. 


200  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

the  Classis  had  no  such  authority  she  would  not  have  taken 
us  under  her  care  and  supervision,  that  I  for  one  was  subject 
to  her  and  would  always  be  glad  to  act  under  her  direction,  etc. 
Then  I  received  this  fine  reprimand :  "There  is  such  a  glorious 
liberty  in  this  country  that  the  people  themselves  are  free  to 
elect,  accept  and  also  dismiss  their  preachers.  It  is  not  right 
to  attempt  to  deprive  them  of  this  liberty  and  subject  them  to  a 
Classis,  which  can  then  force  upon  them  such  ministers  as  she 
desires.  Christians  have  liberty  and  are  in  this  world  under 
no  head,  Christ  alone  is  their  head  in  heaven". 

He  also  remarked,  that  the  people  had  called  me  only 
temporarily,  until  they  could  get  another  minister.  I  showed 
him  my  call.  He  said  there  vv^as  nothing  in  it,  that  they  had 
called  me  for  life.  Then  I  answered  him :  The  Reverend 
Classis  had  recognized  it  as  a  lawful  call,  if  he  were  wiser  than 
the  Classis,  he  would  have  to  take  it  up  with  her.  I  further- 
more reminded  him,  that  I  also  regarded  Christ  as  the  head 
of  the  Church,  yet  I  believed  that  Christ  ruled  his  Church  on 
earth  through  agents,  wherefore  I  would  rather  be  under  super- 
visors, divinely  appointed,  in  order  to  preserve  good  order  in 
the  Church  of  Christ,  than  stand  up  in  my  own  freedom.  On 
this  point  he  did  not  agree  with  me. 

Meanwhile  I  must  again  attend  to  the  duties  of  my  office 
with  a  sad  heart,  and  must  see  the  congregation  at  Schipbach 
divided,  which  was  becoming  united  again,  and  also  see  the 
danger  of  division  extended  to  other  churches. 

Nevertheless,  hoping  that  the  Almighty  will  grant  much 
grace  through  your  Reverences,  as  through  his  faithful  ser- 
vants, I  shall  not  cease  earnestly  to  pray  to  him,  from  the  bot- 
tom of  my  heart. 

In  transmitting  to  the  Reverend  Classis  the  blasphemies 
which  the  new  Baptist  sect,  or  "Tumplers"    [Dunkers],**  as 

'"The  name  "Dunker"  is  derived  from  the  German  verb  "tun- 
ken,"  to  immerse.  They  themselves  use  the  name  German  Baptist 
Brethren.  On  December  25,  1723,  the  first  "Brethren"  congregation 
was  organized  in  Pennsylvania  by  the  trine  immersion  of  six  members 
in  the  Wissahickon  Creek.  They,  together  with  seventeen  members 
baptized  in  Europe,  formed  the  first  congregation  at  Germantown. 
In  the  fall  of  1724  two  other  congregations  were  organized,  one  in 
Coventry  Township,  with  nine  members  and  the  other  in  the  Cones- 


LETTER  OF  1730  201 

they  call  themselves,  have  made  public  through  print,  I  wish 
to  submit  to  your  serious  consideration  the  question,  whether  it 
is  not  the  all  too  great  liberty  in  this  country,  which  causes 
such  daring  insolence.  By  this  pernicious  sect  an  appalling 
number  of  people  has  been  misled  and  even  married  couples 
here  and  there  have  been  separated  when  one  party  went  over 
to  them.  The  two  chief  heretics,  who  have  been  expelled  from 
every  other  place,  and  who  are  the  authors  of  the  two  pam- 
phlets,*® live  in  this  country,  where  they  engage  in  their  blas- 
phemous business,  especially  at  Canastocka  and  at  Falkner 
Schwam.     They  observe   Saturday    [as   Sabbath]    and  do  all 

toga  Township,  with  twelve  members.  The  leader  of  the  last  was 
Conrad  Beissel.  In  March,  1728,  an  awakening  took  place  at  Falkner 
Swamp,  during  which  eleven  persons  were  baptized.  But  a  still  more 
important  event  occurred  in  the  same  year.  Conrad  Beissel  began  to 
teach  in  public  addresses  that  the  Jewish  Sabbath  was  the  proper  day 
to  be  observed.  This  led  to  a  division  of  the  Dunkers,  and  the  forma- 
tion of  a  n^w  organization,  the  Seventh  Day  Dunkers  or  Sabbatarians. 
In  December,  1728,  Beissel  was  rebaptized,  and  then  he  rebaptized 
his  followers.  The  efforts  of  Alexander  Mack,  the  founder  of  the 
Dunkers,  who  arrived  in  1729  with  the  last  part  of  the  Schwarzenau 
community,  proved  unavailing  to  heal  the  division.  The  statement 
of  Boehm,  that  an  "appalling  number"  of  people  had  been  won  by 
them,  must  be  received  with  considerable  allowance.  The  total  mem- 
bership of  the  four  Dunker  congregations  in  172.3  was  sixty-five 
members,  yet  their  influence  upon  the  organization  of  Reformed  con- 
gregations is  undeniable.  For  their  missionary  activity  in  1724  see 
the  Ephrata  Chronicle,  Engl,  ed..  Chap.  IV.  For  a  good  history  of  the 
Dunkers  see  Falkenstein,  The  German  Baptist  Brethren  or  Dunkers. 
Lancaster,  1900. 

'"The  first  of  these  pamphlets  was  written  by  Michael  ^\^^hl- 
fahrt,  in  1720,  in  defense  of  the  Seventh  Day.  The  title  page  of  the 
English  edition  is  reproduced  in  Sachse's  German  Sectarians,  Vol.  I, 
p.  152.  The  second  pamphlet  was  published  in  1730  by  Conrad  Beissel, 
on  matrimony.  The  Ephrata  Chronicle  (Engl,  ed.,  p.  58)  refers  to 
it  as  the  "Ehebiichlein."  The  two  books  were  laid  before  the  Classis 
of  Amsterdam  on  June  4,  1731.  They  were  handed  to  a  committee  to 
report  on  them.  On  September  3,  1731,  the  committee  reported.  "Re- 
garding the  two  books  from  Pennsylvania,  the  committee  reports  that 
one  of  them  is  a  dissertation  on  the  Sabbath,  wherein  the  writer  con- 
tends that  Saturday  should  be  more  properly  observed  as  such  than 
Sunday.  As  to  the  other  book  report  will  be  made  at  the  next  meet- 
ing of  Classis."  On  October  1,  1731,  Do.  Alstein  reports  that  "the 
second  book  treats  of  marriage,  it  is  not  worthy  of   further  notice."  ^ 


202  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

kinds. of  work  on  Sunday,  without  shame.  If  some  one  takes 
them  to  account  for  this  they  say:  Saturday  was  instituted 
by  God  himself,  hence  it  is  their  Sabbath ;  but  Sunday  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  Pope  and  hence  it  is  idolatry. 

The  blasphemous  sect,  which  calls  itself  the  "Newborn",^" 
has  almost  been  silenced,  for  its  author,  named  Matheis  Bau- 
mann,  has  been  removed  by  God.  A  few  of  his  adherents  can 
still  be  found,  and  also  a  few  who  did  not  quite  agree  with 
him.  The  worst  of  them,  named  Martin  Schenkel,^^  utters  such 
blasphemous  words  against  our  Saviour  (as  one  can  hear  from 
many  people),  that  the  ears  of  a  true  Christian  tingle  and  his 
heart  must  weep,  when  hearing  them.  It  is  a  great  pity  that 
there  is  no  punishment  in  this  country  for  such  blasphemers. 
Indeed  nothing  else  can  be  expected  than  that  the  just  God, 
since  no  one  punishes  the  profaning  of  His  honor,  will  un- 
awares inflict  His  judgment.  But  these  men  have  no  longer  a 
large  following. 

However,  the  above  mentioned  Tumplers,  although  they 
are  divided  and  hold  conflicting  opinions,  mainly  about  the  Sab- 
bath or  seventh  day,  have  a  large  following  everywhere,  which 
is  the  result  of  nothing  else  but  this  great  liberty.  Yet  nothing 
can  be  expected  more  certainly  than  their  collapse,  for  their 
kingdom  is  altogether  divided. 

Meanwhile  it  is  to  be  feared,  that,  if  they  are  not  checked, 

""The  New  Born  held  public  disputations  at  market  times  in 
Philadelphia,  "where  also  Baumann  once  offered,  in  order  to  prove 
that  his  doctrine  was  from  God  to  walk  across  the  Delaware  River." 
See  Ephrata  Chronicle,  Engl,  ed.,  p.  17.     For  the  New  Born,  see  p.  86. 

"  In  1719,  one  hundred  acres  were  patented  to  George  Martin 
Schenkel  at  Oley,  south  of  Pleasantville,  at  a  place  still  known  as 
Schenkel's  Hill.  He  was  naturalized  in  1729.  See  Rupp,  Thirty 
Thousand  Names,  p.  434.  In  1734,  Martin  Schenkel  paid  quit-rent 
on  100  acres  at  Oley.  See  Rupp,  1.  c.  p.  475.  He  died  shortly  after- 
wards. His  widow,  Magdalena  Schenkel,  died  prior  to  1763,  when 
her  will  was  probated.  It  was  dated  July  6,  1751.  She  bequeathed  to 
Martin  Schenkel,  Jr.,  175  pounds,  to  Sarah  Yoder  20  pounds,  to  Mag- 
dalena Aplen  20  pounds.  Sarah  Schenkel,  in  174G,  married  John 
Yoder,  the  son  of  Johannes  Yoder,  who,  after  the  death  of  Matthias 
Baumann,  in  1727,  was  one  of  the  leaders  of  the  New  Born.  The 
Ephrata  Chronicle  (Engl,  ed.,  p.  18)  mentions  Kiihlenwein  and  Jotter 
as  prominent  successors  of  Baumann.  (Communicated  by  Rev.  John 
B.  Stoudt,  of  Northampton,   Pa.) 


LETTER  OF  1730  203 

many  pooF  people  will  be  misled  by  them  and  threatened  with 
great  danger  to  their  souls,  for  they  are  constantly  traveling 
about  through  the  whole  country  and  are  trying  to  enlist  [in 
their  ranks]  as  many  as  they  possibly  can.  We  hear  all  the  time, 
frequently  with  great  astonishment,  of  such  or  such  a  one  who 
has  gone  over  to  them,  even  of  Reformed  people,  which  com- 
pels me  to  make  a  humble  report  concerning  it.  This  is  done 
in  the  hope  that  the  merciful  God  will  enable  a  Reverend  Clas- 
sis  to  find  a  way  of  checking  these  and  other  like  dangerous 
errors.  Nothing  can  be  done  here,  everything  passes,  because 
of  this  liberty. 

Very  Reverend  Classis !  In  the  above-mentioned  Canas- 
tocka"  are  found  a  large  number  of  Reformed  people,  dis- 
persed over  a  space  well  nigh  twenty  miles,  who  in  the  be- 
ginning of  my  ministry,  on  several  occasions,  urgently  re- 
quested me  to  hold  divine  services  and  administer  the  Holy 
Communion  to  them.  Hence  I  undertook  the  journey  (for  it 
is  between  fifty  to  sixty  miles  from  my  dwelling  place)  and 
administered  the  communion,  at  which  occasion  about  sixty 
persons  were  present.  Whereupon  Mr.  Weis,  under  date  of 
October  2,  1727,  wrote  a  letter  to  them  (see  enclosure  marked 
D),  with  the  oral  statement  that  I  would  soon  be  stripped  of 
my  office.  Shortly  afterwards  he  went  there  himself  and  cele- 
brated the  Lord's  Supper  there  with  some  who  had  crossed 
the  ocean  with  him.  By  persuading  these  poor  people  that  my 
work  could  not  be  approved  in  the  Reformed  Church,  he  soon 
scattered  them.  But  subsequently,  when  they  found  that  all 
this  was  only  talk  on  his  part,  and  that  I  had  been  ordained 
in  New  York  by  the  Reformed  ministers  there,  by  order  of  the 
Reverend  Classis,  and  that,  by  virtue  of  my  legitimate  call,  all 
my  acts,  performed  previous  to  my  ordination,  had  been  ap- 
proved, they  greatly  regretted  that  they  had  allowed  them- 
selves thus  to  be  imposed  upon.  They  sent  again  a  member  of 
the  congregation  to  me  with  the  request  not  to  hold  this  against 
them,  but  to  come  to  them  again.     To  this  I  consented,  with 

"Conestoga  Township  was  erected  in  1718.  It  included  all  the 
land  west  of  the  Octorara  Creek  to  the  Conestoga  Creek;  northward 
it  seems  to  have  extended  as  far  as  the  present  limits  of  Lancaster 
County.  In  1718  the  assessment  list  shows  about  seventy  German 
taxpayers. 


204  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

the  proviso  that  I  would  do  nothing  contrary  to  my  duty  and 
the  Church  Order. 

Thus  a  great  many  members  of  the  congregation  as- 
sembled on  May  30,  1730,  who  requested  me  to  tell  them 
how  my  affair  had  terminated  and  what  the  condition  of  my 
three  congregations  was  at  present.  I  explained  it  clearly  to 
them.  Whereupon  a  heartfelt  joy  manifested  itself  in  the 
whole  congregation  and  the  wish  was  expressed  that  the  merci- 
ful God  would  also  look  upon  this  congregation  with  His  eyes 
of  mercy  and  bring  it  under  the  care  of  faithful  servants  of 
Christ.  Not  doubting  God's  grace,  they  begged  me  to  arrange 
and  transact  everything  in  accordance  with  the  Church  Order, 
established  by  the  Reverend  Classis,  and  to  lay  the  report 
thereof  before  the  Reverend  Classis.  They  also  agreed  unani- 
mously to  adopt  explicitly  the  rule,  that,  if  the  Reverend  Classis 
would  accept  them  as  her  children  and  brethren,  they  would  in 
future  recognize  none  as  their  regular  minister,  unless  he  had 
been  previously  examined  and  approved  by  the  Reverend 
Classis,  or  by  its  authorized  delegates,  as  a  true  Reformed 
minister  for  this  congregation.  I  aimed  particularly  for  the 
adoption  of  this  rule,  because  of  the  many  heretics,  found  in 
this  country  and  especially  in  this  Canastocka,  and  because 
we  are  never  sure  what  kind  of  ministers  will  now  and  then 
come  into  this  free  land,  who  will  try,  under  a  show  of  respec- 
tability to  sneak  into  the  Church  of  Christ,  whereby  irre- 
parable harm  may  be  done. 

The  same  action  was  taken  in  another  small  congrega- 
tion of  about  fifteen  families,  with  the  same  humble  request 
to  the  Reverend  Classis.  It  is  situated  about  ten  miles  from 
here.^'  The  place  has  as  yet  no  definite  name,  but  is  called, 
after  the  river  on  which  it  lies,  Bergjamen  [Perkiomen]. 

'''What  congregation  this  was  is  not  entirely  clear,  but  indica- 
tions point  to  Old  Goshenhoppen.  The  Old  Goshenhoppen  Church 
was  about  twelve  miles  from  Boehm's  home  and  the  only  church  up 
the  Perkiomen  valley,  which  suits  the  description.  The  meeting  place 
in  1730  may  have  been  at  a  farmer's  house  closer  to  Whitpain  than 
the  church  was  located  in  1744.  In  17-32  a  warrant  was  secured  for 
land  in  Upper  Salford  Township,  Montgomery  County,  half  a  mile 
northeast  of  Salford  Station,  upon  which  in  1744  the  first  church  was 
built. 


LETTER  OF  1730  205 

The  original  petition,  with  the  signatures  of  the  four 
elders  and  two  deacons  at  Canastoka,  has  already  been  trans- 
mitted by  me  to  the  Reverend  Ministers  at  New  York.^*  The 
other  [from  Perkiomen]  I  do  not  have  at  present  in  hand,  but 
it  is  still  in  the  hands  of  the  congregation. 

I,  therefore,  recommend  most  humbly,  upon  their  own 
earnest  desire,  these  two  congregations  to  the  Reverend  Classis 
with  the  urgent  request,  for  Jesus'  sake,  to  take  them  under 
your  highly  esteemed  supervision  and  to  gladden  them  with  a 
favorable  answer  and  an  admonition  to  true  loyalty. 

Another  distant  congregation'^  is  also  desirous  of  being 
brought  into  good  order  and  I  shall  not  fail  to  do  all  I  can  to 
bring  the  same  under  the  blessed  supervision  of  the  Reverend 
Classis,  for  which  purpose  I  have  agreed  to  go  to  them  on 
November  23rd  next.  I  hope  the  Reverend  Classis  will  not 
regard  this  as  wrong. 

With  respect  to  the  Reformed  people  of  Philadelphia,  I 
have  been  compelled  to  hear  repeatedly,  with  a  sad  heart,  from. 
several  of  them  the  reply,  (when  I  recommended  the  good 
work  to  them)  :  "We  are  here  in  a  free  country  and  the  Classis 
of  Holland  has  no  right  to  give  us  any  orders".  This  state- 
ment, however,  has  been  prompted,  as  I  believe,  by  the  per- 
suasion of  Mr.  Weis  alone,  which  is  now  continued  by  Mr. 
Miller.  By  it  also  the  seceders  at  Schipbach  have  so  long 
maintained  the  division  there.  It  is  surprising,  how  Mr.  Weis, 
together  with  his  companion,  J.  Reiff,  dares  to  collect  money  in 
Holland  for  those  in  Philadelphia  and  for  those  whom  he 
caused  to  secede  in  Schipbach.  For  we  cannot  believe  that 
the  Reverend  Classis,  w-ithout  previous  investigation  as  to  hov; 
their  donations  will  be  used  for  the  honor  of  Jesus  Christ,  will 
permit  this  to  be  done,  in  view  of  the  fact,  that  such  gifts  could 
hardly  be  entrusted  to  such  men,  who  recognize  none  as  their 
head,  but  want  to  be  their  own  masters.^" 

If  Mr.  Weis  and  Jacob  Reiff  should  succeed  in  carrying 

"This  petition  has  not  been  preserved. 

"This  refers  to  the  Reformed  congregation  at  Tulpehocken, 
where  Boehm  administered  the  first  communion  on  October  18,  1727, 
to  thirty-two  members.     See  p.  277. 

'''These  fears  of  Boehm  were  fully  justified,  as  is  shown  by 
later  developments.    See  the  history  of  the  "Reiff  Case,"  pp.  39-44. 


206  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

out  their  plans,  before  they  have  submitted  themselves  to  the 
Reverend  Classis  and  the  Church  Order  instituted  by  her,  it 
would  utterly  thwart  any  attempt  to  bring  the  congregations 
here  under  a  uniform  order  and  the  supervision  of  the  Reverend 
Classis.  Hence  we  could  never  hope  for  a  harmonious  Re- 
formed Church  in  this  country.  For  if  they  are  so  stubborn 
in  their  destitute  condition,  worse  would  follow  if  they  needed 
no  longer  any  help,  which  might  become  a  permanent  scandal. 

All  of  which  I  submit  to  the  godly  consideration  of  the 
Reverend  Clasgis,  for  if  such  harmful  intruders  could  be 
checked,  a  beautiful  harmony  under  one  church  order  would 
soon  be  established  in  every  place. 

Herewith,  Reverend  Classis,  your  very  humble  and  lowly 
fellow-servant  prostrates  himself  at  the  feet  of  your  Reverences, 
the  faithful  servants  of  God  and  administrators  of  our  true 
Church,  with  the  submissive  and  urgent  request  not  to  withhold 
your  help,  because  of  all  this,  from  him  and  the  dear  congrega- 
tions entrusted  to  him,  but  lovingly,  for  Jesus'  sake,  to  take  care 
of  us,  poor  members  of  Christ. 

Your  humble  servant  also  recalls  to  your  Reverences  the 
most  submissive  request  made  on  January  29,  1730,  in  behalf 
of  himself  and  his  three  congregations,  and  transmitted  to  you 
by  the  Reverend  Ministers  of  New  York. 

We  furthermore  implore  the  Reverend  Classis  to  take 
into  your  serious  and  highly  esteemed  consideration  what  could 
be  done,  by  the  proper  authorities,  with  regard  to  the  excessive 
liberty  in  this  country,  so  harmful  to  the  true  Church,  of  which 
Mr.  Weis  and  Mr.  Miller  have  thus  far  made  use,  as  also 
against  the  pernicious  sects,  which  have  been  driven  from  all 
parts  of  the  world  into  this  free  country. 

Hoping  that  our  gracious  God  will  bless  your  plans  and 
powerfully  direct  whatever  redounds  to  His  honor  and  the 
peace  of  His  Church,  commending  Your  Reverences,  your 
precious  persons,  together  with  all  your  families  and  holy  ser- 
vices, to  the  all-embracing  protection  of  God  and  the  grace  of 
His  Word,  and  comforting  myself  with  your  gracious  and 


LETTER  OF  1730  207 

Christian  favor, 

I  remain  as  long  as  I  live, 
Very  Reverend  Classis, 
Your  most   submissive,   most  obedient  and 
most  humble  fellow-servant  in  Christ, 

JoHAN  Philips  Boehm, 
Pastor   of   the    three   Reformed    Con- 
gregations at  Falkner  Schwarn,  Schipbach 
and  Weitmarsche. 
Pennsylvania,  November  12,  1730. 

P.  S. 

Inasmuch  as  many  things  happen  in  this  country,  which, 
if  they  were  all  reported,  might  weary  the  Reverend  Classis, 
though  such  report  might  often  be  of  service,  I  desire  the 
honor  to  have  one  of  the  Reverend  Brethren,  if  he  will  take  the 
trouble  to  do  so,  send  me  his  address  for  this  purpose,  without 
hesitation.  Boehm. 

[This  letter  of  Mr.  Boehm  was  accompanied  by  the  follow- 
ing enclosures:] 

ENCLOSURE  A. 

[LETTER  OF  MR.  BOEHM  AND  THE  CONSISTORY  OF  SKIP- 
PACK  TO  THE  REFORMED  MINISTERS  OF  NEW  YOliK 
AND  LONG  ISLAND,  MAY  17,  1730.] 

Reverend,  Learned  and  Godly  Sirs,  Gualthcrus  Du  Bois, 
Henricus  Boel  and  Vincentius  Antonidcs: — 
Your  Reverences  succeeded  of  late,  in  the  month  of  No- 
vember, 1729,  through  extraordinary  diligence  and  labor,  to 
bring  about  an  amicable  adjustment  between  Do.  George 
Michael  Weis  and  Do.  Boehm,  the  purport  of  which  your 
Reverences  will  be  able  to  perceive  from  the  written  agree- 
ment in  your  hands. 

But  with  sad  hearts  we  must  now  report  to  your  Rev- 
erences that  Mr.  Weis  soon  afterwards  preached  here  under 
the  pretext  of  delivering  his  farewell  sermon,  but  he  did  not 
make  the  least  reference  to  it  in  his  sermon,  much  less  did  he 
read  the  agreement,  though  on  our  part  we  heartily  requested 
it,  but  willingly  allowed  our  adversaries  to  forbid  him  doing 


208  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

it.  Shortly  afterwards  he  preached  again,  then  stayed  away 
for  some  time  until  now,  on  the  30th  of  April,  he  returned  at 
the  request  of  the  seceders,  and  held  the  preparatory  service 
and  on  May  ist  celebrated  the  Lord's  Supper.  He  likewise 
preached  on  May  7th,  being  Ascension  day,  and  again  to-day. 
They  are  all  called  farewell-services.  Moreover  after  these 
sermons  and  at  other  occasions  he  baptized  children  and  mar- 
ried people.  He  thus  revealed  what  intentions  he  had  in  mind 
during  all  this  time.  Through  all  this  our  poor  congregation, 
which  has  been  completely  split  by  him,  has  been  kept  thus  far 
in  such  harmful  division  and  strife. 

Moreover  he  is  now  setting  further  mischief  on  foot,  for 
he  has  resolved  to  cross  the  ocean,  with  the  avowed  intention 
of  going  to  Holland,  to  receive  the  money  which,  he  claims, 
has  been  collected  there  in  answer  to  his  letter.  He  intends  to 
put  this  out  at  interest,  so  that  he  can  live  on  it.  Then  he  is 
going  to  return.  Through  this  the  poor,  seceding  members, 
who  have  been  driven  into  rebellion  through  him,  will  still 
further  be  hardened. 

Now  we  believe  nothing  is  more  certain  than  this,  that  he 
and  Jacob  Reiff,  who  is  going  with  him  and  who  first  in- 
troduced him  into  our  congregation  and  helped  him  to  create 
the  harmful  mischief,  will  endeavor  to  obstruct  everything  that 
we  have  done.     For,  as  we  learn,  another  testimonial,'^  such 

"When  Weiss  and  Reiff  left  Philadelphia,  in  May,  1730,  Reiff 
was  given  the  following  power  of  attorney: 

"Whereas  our  pastor,  Mr.  Weiss,  has  resolved,  with  his  com- 
panion, Jacob  Reiff,  to  make  a  journey  to  England  and  Rotterdam, 
for  the  purpose  of  receiving  the  collections,  which  have  been  made 
there  and  are  intended  for  the  erection  of  a  church  in  this  country, 
Jacob  Reiff  is  hereby  authorized  to  attend  to  all  matters,  in  order  that 
Mr.  Weiss  may  be  immediately  dispatched  with  them  [the  collections! 
and  start  on  his  return  to  Pennsylvania.  Thus  we  commit  everything 
to  him,  [trusting]  upon  his  good  conscience  and  give  him  full  authority. 
Witnessed  with  our  hands.     Done  at  Philadelphia,  May  19,  1730. 

"We  herewith  also  express  the  desire  that  Jacob  Reiff  shall 
so  arrange  it,  that  in  case  Mr.  Weiss  will  not  or  cannot  return  to  this 
country,  he,  that  is  Reiff,  shall  forthwith  bring  with  him  a  minister 
from  Heidelberg  and  provide  him  with  the  most  needful  things.  For, 
in  case  the  collected  moneys  are  no  longer  on  hand,  we  consider  it 
unnecessary  for  Mr.  Weiss  to  proceed  farther,  but  desire  him  to 
place  the  letters  in  the  care  of  Jacob  Reiff  for  delivery  at  their  proper 


LETTER  OF  1730  209 

as  was  sent  formerly  to  your  Reverences,  has  been  handed  to 
him,  signed  by  many  people,  with  which,  as  we  hear  it  openly 
asserted,  he  intends  to  appear  before  the  Reverend  Classis.  It 
is,  no  doubt,  like  the  former  filled  with  nothing  but  falsehoods. 

Meanwhile  this  exceedingly  unfortunate  affair,  which 
has  separated  the  nearest  blood-relatives,  and  has  thrown  them 
into  fierce  animosity  against  one  another,  will  be  kept  up  in 
this  poor  congregation ;  for  everybody  went  to  communion 
without  order,  so  that  we  had  to  feel  ashamed  before  others, 
neither  will  the  harmful  evil  leave  the  other  congregations 
untouched,  since  two  of  those  who  ought  to  have  answered  for 
their  deeds,  went  over  to  him  [Mr.  Weis],  nor  can  we  see  how 
Mr.  Weis  will  justify  his  conduct  before  honorable  men,  much 
less  before  the  great  Judge.  Besides  he  has  arranged  ever\-- 
thing  here,  how  matters  are  to  be  conducted  until  his  return. 

We,  therefore,  pray  your  Reverences  graciously  to  assist 
us  with  your  good  counsel,  for  we  Reformed  people  must  cer- 
tainly feel  much  ashamed  because  of  the  division  caused  by  Mr. 
Weis.  That  he  was  the  cause  of  it,  and  was  always  bent  on 
mischief,  is,  we  think,  proved  by  his  own  conduct. 

For  to  sign  such  a  covenant  with  his  own  hand,  before  such 
reverend  men,  who  for  the  glory  of  Jesus  labored  so  zealously 
to  restore  everything  to  good  order,  and  then  to  break  the  same 
in  such  a  disgraceful  manner, — such  conduct  is  not  only  devoid 
of  honor,  but  far  removed  from  godliness,  nor  is  it  worthy  of  a 
minister  to  set  such  an  example. 

But  we  leave  the  further  judgment  of  this  to  your  Rev- 
addresses,  and  himself  request  answers  thereto. 

"We  all  the  elders  of  the  two  congregations  at  Philadelphia  and 
Schibach. 

[Philadelphia:]  [Skippack:] 

J.  DiEMER,  D.  M.  P.,  Wendel  Keiber, 

PiETER  Lecolie,  Deob.\lt  Jung, 

JOHAN   WiLM   ROERIG,  ChrisTOFFEL   ScHMITT, 

Henrich  Weller,  Gerh.art  (G.  I.  H.)  Ix  v>z  H.we.v, 

Gf.org  Peter  Hillengass,  Georg  Reif, 

Hans  Michel  Froelich,  Georg  Philip  Dodder." 

Michel  Hillengass. 

A  copy  of  this  petition,  made  by  Reiff  and  submitted  to  the 
Court  of  Chancery,  is  in  the  Harbaugh  Collection  of  Mss.  It  was 
printed  in  the  Reformed  Quarterly  Review,  1893,  (Vol.  XL),  p.  58. 


210  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

erences,  praying  that  you  will  take  it  to  heart,  in  accordance 
with  your  godliness. 

We  are  and  ever  remain  Your  Reverences',  our  most  hon- 
ored Sirs',  submissive  and  obedient  servants, 

J.  P.  BoEHM,  minister. 
Pennsylvania  at  Schipbach, 

in  our  Consistory,  May  17,  1730. 

Elders       ^^^^^  MEvm, 

^Christian  Neuschwanger/^ 

■p.  (LORENTZ  BiNGEMANN, 

Deacons    ^^  ^  ' 

(Peter  Stephan. 

P-  S. — The  congregation  of  Germantown  has  been  aban- 
doned by  Mr.  Weis  for  some  time. 


ENCLOSURE  B. 

[LETTER  OF  THE  NEW  YORK  MINISTERS  TO  MR.  BOEHM 
AND  HIS  CONSISTORIES,  JULY  17,  1730.] 

EXTRACT  FROM  A  LETTER  OE  THE  REVEREND  MINISTERS  OF  NEW 
YORK,  GUALTHERUS  DU  BOIS,  HENRICUS  BOEL  AND  VIN- 
CENTIUS  ANTONIDES,  DATED  JULY  I7,  I73O,  ADDRESSED  TO 
THE  PASTOR  AND  CONSISTORIES  OF  THE  THREE  REFORMED 
CONGREGATIONS  AT  FALCKNER  SCHWAM,  SCHIPBACH  AND 
WEITMARSCHE,  IN  PENNSYLVANIA. 

Meanwhile  it  surprizes  us  very  much  and  gives  us  great 
grief  that  we  have  learned  from  your  letter,  dated  May  17th, 
how  the  sad  division  has  been  kept  up  unchanged,  and  has 
even  been  increased,  not  only  through  the  seceders,  but  even 
through  Do.  Weis,  contrary  to  the  covenant  so  solemnly  and 
dutifully  made  between  you  and  Do.  Weis.     .     .     . 

Let  us,  therefore,  know  from  time  to  time,  without  re- 
serve, how  things  are  going  and  for  what  reasons  and  how  Do. 
Weis  has  left  the  congregation  of  Germantown  and  also 
whether  this  congregation  has  accepted  Do.  Boehm  as  their 

"  Christian  Neuschwanger  signed  the  oath  of  allegiance  at  Phila- 
delphia, August  24,  1728.  In  1734,  Bastian  Reifschneider  paid  quit-rent 
on  100  acres  of  land  in  Hanover  township.  See  Rupp,  Thirty  Thousand 
Names,  p.  474. 


LETTER  OF  1730  211 

minister  and  on  what  terms,  that  we  may  see  whether  it  is 
done  according  to  the  agreement  made  with  subordination  to 
the  Reverend  Classis,  in  order  that  everything  may  be  brought 
into  good  order. 

It  surprizes  us  in  the  highest  degree  that  Do.  Weis,  not- 
withstanding his  earnest  request  for  correspondence  with  us 
on  every  occasion  that  might  arise,  and  our  promise  to  do  so 
with  submission  to  the  Reverend  Classis,  is  again  proceeding  on 
the  old  footing,  neither  communicating  with  us,  nor  even  writ- 
ing a  letter  to  the  Reverend  Classis.  At  his  departure  he  wrote 
last  May  a  letter  to  Do.  Boel  alone,  requesting  him  if  money 
should  be  sent  over  from  Holland  for  the  congregation  of  Do. 
Weis  (while  Do.  Weis,  according  to  his  letter,  was  going  to 
England  and  Holland  to  gather  in  the  money  collected  there) , 
to  receive  the  same  and  to  hand  it  over  to  the  authorized  rep- 
resentatives of  Do.  Weis  in  Philadelphia.  This  he  did  without 
mentioning  a  word  in  his  letter  of  the  differences  that  had 
arisen  or  even  referring  to  Do.  Du  Bois  and  Do.  Antonides. 

Hence  we  desire  that  the  Reverend  Classis  be  informed 
of  the  things  since  undertaken  by  him  with  the  seceders. 

[ENCLOSURE  C]. 

[COPY  OF  A  LETTER  OF  MR.  WEISS  TO  MR.  BOEHM,  NO- 
VEMBER 28,  1727]. 

Address :    To  deliver  to  Mr.  Boehm. 

S.  T. — Especially  Honored  Sir  and  Friend: — 

Inasmuch  as  God  is  not  a  God  of  disorder  but  of  order 
and  as  He,  therefore,  demands  that  in  the  Christian  Church 
everything  be  accomplished  in  accordance  with  Apostolic  order; 
but,  whereas  it  is  well  known  that  in  many  cases  the  gentleman 
[Boehm]  has  acted  contrary  to  this  order,  since  without  inquiry 
and  permission  from  the  clergy,  and  taking  into  consideration 
only  the  fact  that  this  is  a  free  country,  he  has  undertaken 
such  an  important  office  only  and  solely  at  the  instigation  of 
the  people,  although  he  was  not  examined  as  to  his  qualifica- 
tion by  such  men  as  are  able  to  pass  judgment,  much  less  sub- 
mitted to  an  ordination,  having  all  the  time  dissuaded  the 
people  from  writing  for  a  clergyman,  not  to  speak  of    his 


212  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

neglect  to  teach  the  catechism  for  the  benefit  of  the  young  and 
old  and  of  his  admitting  children  to  the  Lord's  Supper  for  the 
first  time,  without  giving  them  any  information  or  instruction 
on  the  subject  of  salvation, — and  also,  when  I  first  came  to  this 
country,  giving  me  such  a  reception  that  I  can  come  to  no  other 
conclusion  than  that  he  aims  at  nothing  else  than  his  own.  vain 
honor  and  advantage,  not  to  mention  for  the  present  many 
other  things, — 

Now  therefore,  according  to  the  decision  of  a  Reverend 
Ministerium  and  by  virtue  of  the  authority  which  I  possess  in 
this  matter  as  a  regularly  ordained  servant  of  Christ,  the  gen- 
tleman is  herewith  summoned  and  requested  to  come  to  Phila- 
delphia, and  appear  in  the  residence  [manse]  of  the  minister 
of  the  Presbyterian  church,  for  the  purpose  of  being  examined 
in  one  or  another  of  these  things. 

Wherewith,  commending  him  to  the  divine  favor,  I  remain 
the  gentleman's  Devoted, 

G.  U.  Weis,  V.  D.  M. 
Philadelphia, 
November  28,  1727. 


ENCLOSURE  D. 

COPY    OF    A    LETTER    OF    MR.    GEORGE    ^IICHAEL    WEIS,  , 
WRITTEN  TO'  MR.  SCHWAB,"  OF  CANASTOCKA.  OCTO- 
BER 2,  1727. 

5.  T.^° — Dear  Friend: — 

If  any  persons  at  Canastocka  feel  disposed,  for  the 
strengthening  of  their  faith,  to  partake  of  the  Holy  Com- 
munion, after  preceding  preparatory  service,  I  should  be  in- 
formed at  a  favorable  opportunity  and  at  an  early  date,  since  T 
am  staying  sometimes  in  Philadelphia  and  sometimes  outside  in 
the  country  districts,  so  that  I  may  know  how  to  shape  my 
course  accordingly.    To  this  end  I  should  like  to  have  a  definite 

"  Hans  George  Schwab  reached  Philadelphia.  September  18.  1727, 
on  the  same  ship  as  Mr.  Weiss.  He  settled  in  the  Conestoga  Valley. 
December  4,  1734,  he  secured  a  warrant  for  150  acres  of  land  on  Mill 
Creek  in  Earl  township. 

•°  S.  T.,  stands  for  Salutem  Tibi,  i.e.,  "greeting  to  thee." 


LETTER  OF  1730  213 

time  appointed  and  to  be  informed  of  it,  that  is,  at  what  time 
and  place  the  service  could  properly  be  held,  also  how  and  by 
what  conveyance  I  could  come  up,  since  I  do  not  know  the  way 
and  am  still  a  stranger  in  this  country. 

The  Lord's  Supper  was  celebrated  by  me  lately  in  Philadel- 
phia," at  the  request  of  the  people,  and  I  shall  shortly  ad- 
minister the  same  at  Goschenhoppen,  above  Schipbach,  in  which 
locality  also  many  newcomers  from  the  ships  are  found. 

I  am  not  a  little  surprized  that  Mr.  Boehm  allows  himself 
to  be  used  as  a  minister,  indeed  that  he  usurps  such  privileges 
and  authority  as  do  by  no  means  belong  to  him,  nor  have  been 
accorded  to  him  by  the  clergy,  as  I  have  learned,  to  my  satis- 
faction, from  the  ministers  here,  but  that  he  assumed  so  im- 
portant an  office  merely  at  the  instigation  of  the  people,  while 
he  cannot  boast  either  of  an  external  or  of  an  internal  call. 
For,  where  is  the  sufficient  insight  and  knowledge,  where  is  the 
true  zeal  for  increasing  the  glory  of  God  and  for  extending  the 
kingdom  of  Christ,  if  a  man  looks  out  mostly  for  his  own  in- 
terests and  allows  himself  to  be  betrayed  into  passion  against 
one  who  had  no  evil  thought  in  his  heart  ?  Who  has  examined 
this  man,  whether  he  possesses  the  qualifications  for  such  an  im- 
portant office?  Who  has  laid  hands  upon  him,  while  it  is  said 
of  teachers  of  the  Word  of  God :  "Examine  them  before  let- 
ting them  teach;  hands  should  not  rashly  be  laid  upon  them" 
[I  Tim.  3:10;  5:22].  It  might  indeed  be  objected,  (as  in  fact 
it  has  been  done)  that  the  people  had  most  insistently  requested 
and  begged  him  to  accept.  The  answ^er  to  this  is:  That,  con- 
sidered by  itself,  this  was  a  good  popular  impulse,  but  the 
people  surely  cannot  call  any  one  save  him  who  has  been  ex- 
amined and  ordained  by  the  clergy  and  has  thus  been  recog- 
nized as  one  duly  qualified.    To  this  it  might  be  objected :  There 

"The  Minutes  of  the  Presbyterian  Synod  of  Philadelphia  (see 
Records,  Vol.  I,  p.  87),  show  that  September  24,  1727,  was  a  Sunday. 
The  following  Sunday  was  therefore  October  1,  1727.  This  letter  to 
Mr.  Schwab  was  consequently  written  on  Monday,  October  2,  1727. 
As  it  is  likely  that  the  first  communion  service  in  Philadelphia  was 
celebrated  on  a  Sunday,  and  as  his  reference  "lately"  (ohnlangst) 
implies  the  lapse  of  a  number  of  days,  September  24,  1727,  may  well 
be  regarded  as  the  first  fixed  date  in  the  history  of  the  Philadelphia 
congregation. 


214  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

was  no  opportunity  for  this  in  this  country,  as  there  is  no 
German  ministerium.  Be  it  then  known  that  the  English 
ministers  ought  to  have  been  consulted,  who  would  certainly 
have  been  willing  to  render  assistance  by  word  and  deed,  and 
would  even  have  exerted  themselves  to  have  a  good  minister 
sent  over  from  Germany.  If  this  had  not  turned  out  as  de- 
sired, Mr.  Boehm  might  have  led  the  people  with  reading  and 
prayer  or  even  with  devotional  exposition  of  Scripture,  but  he 
should  not  have  administered  the  sacraments  nor  officiated  at 
marriages,  for  which  he  did  not  have  the  least  justification,  in- 
asmuch as  he  who  wants  to  be  a  good  Reformed  minister  ought 
to  observe  the  laws  which  should  govern  a  Reformed  minister. 
Otherwise,  we  must  look  upon  his  work  as  something  of  his 
own  contrivance,  entirely  diflferent  from  the  Reformed  Church. 
Wherefore  I  cannot  conscientiously  recognize  Mr.  Boehm  as  a 
Reformed  teacher  and  preacher,  until  he  submits  to  an  ex- 
amination and  is  ordained  in  Apostolic  manner,  which  he  will 
never  be  able  to  do. 

I  am  writing  this  for  the  information  of  every  one.  The 
pastor  of  this  place*'-  will  see  what  is  to  be  done  in  this  case, 
especially  since  he  was  informed  that  he  [Boehm]  studied  a 
little  and  was  ordained  by  a  Reverend  Consistory. 

These  are  my  thoughts  regarding  the  work  of  Mr.  Boehm, 
which,  from  love  of  truth,  I  was  compelled  to  make  known 
publicly,  so  that  every  one  may  act  accordingly.  With  a  wish 
for  your  well-being,  I  remain, 

Devotedly  Yours, 

G.  M.  Weis,  V.  D.  M. 
Philadelphia, 
October  2,  1727. 

ENCLOSURE  E. 

[COMPLAINTS  OF  MR.  BOEHM  AGAINST  MR.  WEISS,  NO- 
VEMBER, 1730.] 

I.  Mr.  Weis  intruded  into  my  three  congregations,  partly 
by  cunning,  partly  by  force,  with  the  aid  of  some   opponents, 

"This  reference  is  probably  to  the  Presbyterian  minister  in 
Philadelphia,  the  Rev.  Jedidiah  Andrews,  who  from  1698-1747  was 
pastor  of  the  old  Buttonwood  Presbyterian  Church. 


LETTER  OF  1730  215 

for  at  Weitmarsche  word  was  sent  to  an  elder  that  he  [Weiss] 
would  preach  there  on  the  next  Sunday,  if  a  horse  were  sent 
to  bring  him  over  from  Philadelphia.  This  was  done  by  the 
elder,  because  he  knew  that  I  had  been  to  see  Weis  in  Philadel- 
phia,®^ and  he  supposed  that  we  had  agreed  upon  such  an  ar- 
rangement, and  that  it  was  done  with  good  intention.  But 
when  the  congregation  assembled  and  learned  that  Mr.  Weis 
had  not  said  a  word  about  this  matter  to  me  or  to  any  of  the 
elders  of  the  congregation,  an  ugly  tumult  arose,  which  in- 
creased all  the  more  because  it  was  an  arbitrary  and  irregular 
action  and  moreover  because  Mr.  Weis  administered  holy 
baptism  to  seven  children  who  were  present,  although  he  had 
not  been  called  by  this  congregation. 

At  Schipbach  and  in  Falckner  Schwam  he  announced 
through  the  Lutheran  minister.  Mr.  Henckel,^*  now  deceased 
(who  had  slandered  me  publicly),  that  he  would  come  there 
and  preach,  which  he  did  without  my  knowledge  or  that  of  the 
Consistory. 

2.  He  preached  at  branch  station,  called  Goschenhoppen, 
about  ten  miles  from  Falckner  Schwam ;  the  last  time,  on  Oc- 
tober 12,  1727,  he  celebrated  the  Lord's  Supper,  without  know- 
ing the  people,  admitting  among  others  two  men  from  Falckner 
Schwam,  who  ought  to  have  been  taken  to  account  because  of 
their  vicious  lives. 

3.  He  went  into  the  house  of  a  member  of  the  Weit- 

"  In  a  series  of  advertisements,  which  appeared  in  the  American 
Weekly  Mercury,  from  February  3 — April  9,  1730,  Weiss  oflFered  to 
teach  "Logick,  Natural  Philosophy,  Metaphysicks,  etc.,"  to  all  willing 
to  learn.  The  place  of  teaching  was  to  be  "at  the  Widow  Sproegel's," 
in  Second  Street.  As  Weiss  was  a  single  man  in  1730,  it  is  natural 
to  infer  that  this  was  his  lodging  place.  Widow  Sproegel  was  the 
sister  of  Ludwig  Christian  Sproegel,  who  died  in  Philadelphia,  June 
5,  1727. 

"This  was  the  Rev.  Anthony  Jacob  Henckel,  who  arrived  in 
Pennsylvania  as  early  as  1717.  In  1718,  he  and  his  son-in-law,  Valen- 
tine Geiger,  bought  land  in  New  Hanover,  from  John  Henry  Sproegel, 
the  agent  of  the  Frankford  Land  Company.  In  1728,  Henckel  fell 
from  his  horse,  was  carried  into  a  neighboring  house,  where  he  dic- 
tated his  will,  August  17,  1728.  Letters  of  administration  were  granted 
September  14,  1728.  See  the  Henkel  Memorial,  edited  by  Rev.  Dr. 
A.  Stapleton,  First  Series,  No.  1   (1910),  pp.  8-13. 


216  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

marsche  congregation  and  baptized  a  child  there  without  my 
knowledge. 

4.  At  the  above-mentioned  Goschenhoppen,  on  the  same 
I2th  of  October,  and  later  on  the  19th  at  Schipbach,  that  is  in 
the  very  place  to  which  I  had  been  regularly  called,  and  also 
on  the  26th  in  Philadelphia,  in  these  three  public  assemblies,  he 
spoke  of  me  by  name  and  declared  me  to  be  an  incompetent 
preacher,  whom  he  did  not  regard  as  fit  to  administer  the  holy 
sacraments. 

5.  Without  my  knowledge  he  united  in  marriage  two  per- 
sons, whose  banns  I  had  pubHshed  three  times  at  their  request, 
one  day  before  the  appointed  time,  that  is  on  February  27, 
1727.^^  N.  B.,  The  woman,  according  to  evidence  in  my  hands 
was  already  married  to  another  man,  wherefore  I  would  have 
taken  the  necessary  steps. 

6.  When  he  was  in  Schipbach  on  February  11,  1728,  and 
preached  there,  he  brought  with  him  Peter  and  Michael  Hille- 
gass"*'  and  Michael  Schmidt""  from  Philadelphia,  who  persuaded 
the  people  with  the  utmost  efforts  to  give  me  up  and  subscribe 
an  annual  salary  for  Mr.  Weis.  This  was  done  by  many  whose 
names  are  also  found  on  my  voluntary  subscription  list, 
whereby  the  small  amount  that  had  been  signed  for  my  labor 
(namely  five  pounds  annually)  was  almost  entirely  taken  away 
from  me,  and  I  have  been  compelled  since  then  to  serve  this 

"This  date  must  be  February  27,  1727-28. 

•^  Michel  Hillegas  was  born  in  1696.  The  date  of  his  arrival  in 
Pennsj'lvania  is  not  known.  He  was  naturalized  in  April,  1749.  He 
died  October  30,  1749,  and  was  buried  in  Christ's  Church  (Episcopal) 
Burial  Ground,  Fifth  and  Arch  Streets,  Philadelphia.  His  grave  bears 
the  following  inscription :  "In  Memory  of  Michael  Hillegas,  who 
departed  this  life  October  30,  1749,  aged  53  years."  Letters  of  ad- 
ministration were  granted,  November  7,  1749,  to  iMargaretha  Hillegas, 
his  widow,  and  to  Mich'l  Hillegas,  son  of  the  deceased.  Register  of 
Wills  office,  Philadelphia,  Book  of  Administration,  Vol.  F,  p.  290. 
Their  son,  Michael  Hillegas,  Jr.,  born  in  Philadelphia,  April  22,  1729, 
was  the  first  treasurer  of  the  United  States,  1775-1789.  See  Michael 
Hillegas  and  his  Descendants,  by  Emma  St.  Clair  Whitney,  Potts- 
ville,  1891.  pp.  7,8. 

"  Rupp's  Thirty  Thousand  Names  has  only  one  Michael  Schmidt 
between  1727-1730.  He  signed  the  oath  of  allegiance  September  30, 
1727.  He  is,  therefore,  probably  identical  with  the  person  here 
mentioned. 


LETTER  OF  1730  217 

congregation  without  any  salary. 

7.  On  March  10,  1728,  a  week  before  his  usual  time,  on 
my  regular  Sunday,  which,  according  to  report  he  had  pur- 
posely so  appointed  beforehand,  he  came  again  with  the  above- 
mentioned  two  Hillegass  brothers,  Michael  Schmidt,  and 
several  others,  who  here  and  there  have  been  his  adherents. 
Then  there  arose  such  a  scandalous  tumult  before  a  large  num- 
ber of  people  who  had  gathered  together  of  all  kinds  of  sects 
and  religions  to  hear  something  new  from  him,  that  it  was  a 
great  disgrace  to  our  Reformed  religion.  These  men  from 
Philadelphia,  whom  he  had  around  him,  absolutely  denied  my 
right  to  preach  with  all  sorts  of  outrageous  words  against  me, 
and  forcibly  expelled  us  from  our  usual  meeting  place  (a 
private  house,  namely  that  of  Jacob  ReifT,  because  we  had  no 
church  there).  And  when  we  tried  to  speak  with  Mr.  Weis  in 
a  friendly  way,  one  of  the  Hillegass  brothers  of  Philadelphia 
cried  out  to  Weis :  He  ought  not  to  do  us  the  honor  of  speak- 
ing with  us,  for  we  were  all  plainly  a  set  of  cattle.  Thus  I 
have  been  compelled  hitherto  to  conduct  my  services  here  and 
there  with  my  elders  and  the  members  who  remained  faithful 
to  me  and  the  Church  Order,  subscribed  by  them. 

8.  On  June  22,  1729*'^,  he  took  possession  of  the  church 
which  had  been  erected  at  Schipbach,  although  my  elders  had 
started  it,  because  Jacob  Reiff  and  his  brothers  contend  that  the 
land  belongs  to  them  and  that  they  have  advanced  most  of  the 
money,  and  as  the  highest  creditors  appropriated  it.  He 
preached  in  it  till  his  departure,  thus  keeping  up  the  harmful 
division  in  this  congregation.    Finally 

9.  Mr.  Weis  celebrated  the  Lord's  Supper,  without  previous 
preparation,  at  a  place  named  Oly,®^   (where  the  sect  calling 

"This  date,  June  22,  1729,  marks  the  dedication  of  the  first  Re- 
formed Church  in  Pennsylvania. 

"This  is  the  first  reference  to  the  Reformed  people  at  Oley,  for, 
of  course,  the  visit  of  Weiss  to  Oley  implies  the  presence  of  Reformed 
people  there.  For  the  early  history  of  the  Oley  Reformed  Church, 
see  p.  73f.  The  first  white  settler  at  Oley  is  said  to  have  been 
Johannes  Keim,  who  settled  in  Oley  in  1708  or  1709.  In  the  fall  of 
1709,  John  LeDee  and  some  others,  "having  obtained  leave  to  look  out 
for  Lands  above  Perquicominck,  chose  a  place  called  Oley,  about  50 
Miles  distant  from  Philadelphia,  and  settled  thereon,  but  without  any 
agreement  or  survey."     Isaac  DeTurck,  who  is  said  to  have  been   a 


218  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

itself  the  "Newborn"  originated)    and  baptized  at  the  same 

time  several  children,  among  whom  (as  is  reported)  were  also 

Indian   children, ^°    who,   as   unbelievers,   go   about  like   wild 

animals,  without  a  knowledge  of  God  or  His  Word.  Of  which 
he  boasted  with  his  own  mouth  before  Mr.  Peter  Zenger,^^ 

sexton  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  New  York,  as  the  latter 
himself  declared,  etc.,  etc. 

brother  of  Mrs.  Keim,  and  who  was  originally  a  member  of  the 
Kocherthal  colony,  which  settled  at  Newburgh,  N.  Y.,  in  1709,  came  to 
Oley  in  1711.  In  April,  1712,  John  LeDee,  with  Isaac  DeTurck  and 
John  Frederickfields  (all  Germans),  "by  further  leave  granted  them, 
procured  the  surveyor  (p.  J.  L.  order)  to  lay  out  to  John  LeDee  300 
acres,  to  Isaac  DeTurck  300  acres,  to  John  Frederickfields  500  acres, 
for  which  they  agree  to  pay  10  pounds  p.  hundred."  A  patent  for 
300  acres  was  issued  to  Isaac  DeTurck,  on  May  28,  1712.  See  Penn- 
sylvania Archives,  II  Series,  Vol.  XIX,  pp.  517,  524.  The  Yoder 
brothers,  Johannes  and  Jost,  Reformed  people  from  Switzerland,  soon 
joined  the  little  group.  Matthias  Baumann,  the  founder  of  the  "New- 
born," must  have  settled  at  Oley  before  1718,  because  a  letter  of  Mrs. 
Maria  DeTurck,  dated  May  14,  1718,  clearly  reveals  his  influence.  In 
1734,  34  settlers  owned  land  in  Oley  township.  (Communicated  in 
part  by  Rev.  John  B.  Stoudt). 

"  Mr.  Weiss  seems  to  have  been  much  interested  in  Indians. 
While  at  Burnetsfield,  New  York,  he  wrote  a  book  on  Indians,  in  1741, 
comprising  96  pages,  in  8  vo.,  of  which  he  sent  a  copy  to  the  Classis 
of  Amsterdam.  Unfortunately  it  has  not  been  preserved  there,  nor  is 
any  other  copy  known  to  be  in  existence.  See  Eccl.  Records  of  N.  Y., 
Vol.  IV,  pp.  2760,2778f. 

"  Peter  Zenger  is  a  man  who  became  famous  in  the  struggle 
for  the  freedom  of  the  press  in  America.  He  was  born  in  Germany 
in  1697.  As  a  boy  of  13  years  he  came  with  his  mother,  Johanna 
Zenger,  a  younger  brother  and  a  sister,  to  New  York  in  the  first  large 
colony  of  Palatines,  who  reached  New  York  in  June,  1710,  with 
Governor  Robert  Hunter.  Peter  Zenger  was  apprenticed  to  William 
Bradford,  the  printer,  on  October  26,  1711,  for  eight  years.  In  1726, 
Zenger  started  in  the  printing  business  for  himself.  In  1730,  he  be- 
came organist  in  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church  in  New  York  (see 
Eccl.  Records  of  N.  Y..  Vol.  IV,  pp.  2398,  2495).  In  17^3,  he  started 
the  "New  York  Weekly  Journal.  In  1735  he  was  tried  for  publishing 
a  false,  scandalous  and  seditious  libel.  He  was  brilliantly  defended 
by  his  counsel,  Andrew  Hamilton.  His  case  became  famous,  be- 
cause it  established  the  freedom  of  the  press  in  this  country,  and  the 
principle  that  in  cases  of  libel  the  jury  are  the  judges  both  of  the 
law  and  the  facts.  He  died  July  28,  1746.  See  John  Peter  Zenger, 
His  Press,  His  Trial  and  a  Bibliography  of  Zenger  Imprints,  by  Living- 
stone Rutherford,  New  York,  1904. 


LETTER  OF  1730  219 


ENCLOSURE  F. 


[COPY  OF  A  LETTER  OF  MR.  BOEHM  AND  THE  CONSIST- 
ORY OF  SKIPPACK  TO  THE  REFORMED  MINISTERS  OF 
NEW  YORK,  NOVEMBER  5,  1730.] 

Very  Reverend,  Very  Learned  and  Devout  Gentlemen. 

Gualtheriis  Dii  Bois,  Henricus  Boel  and  Vincentius  An- 
tonides: — 

In  duty  bound  we  herewith  report  submissively  to  your 
Reverences  that  whatever  we  reported  to  you  under  date  May 
17,  1730,  concerning  the  harmful  division,  caused  in  our  con- 
gregation by  Mr.  George  Michael  Weis  and  continued  by  him 
until  his  departure  from  here,  contrary  to  all  order  and  the 
solemn  covenant  made  with  him,  all  this  has  hitherto  been  kept 
up  by  Mr.  Miller,  who  came  to  this  country  this  fall.  Coming 
into  this  country  as  an  unordained  minister  and  willing  to  be 
ordained  by  the  Presbyterians  in  Philadelphia  (as  we  hear), 
we  have  no  other  prospect  before  us  but  a  continuous  division 
in  our  poor  congregation.  Our  hope  for  a  good  and  God- 
pleasing  harmony,  established  in  brotherly  love,  which  we  ex- 
pected to  be  able  to  report  with  rejoicing,  after  the  departure  of 
Mr.  Weis,  has  been  entirely  taken  away  from  us  through  the 
above-mentioned  Mr.  Miller.  Hence  we  are  unable  to  fore- 
cast what  will  become,  in  course  of  time,  of  our  so  sadly  divided 
congregation.  We  are  not  able  to  help  ourselves,  because  every 
one  breaks  in  and  makes  use  of  the  liberty  in  this  country,  to 
do  whatever  he  desires.  Yet  we  are  heartily  willing  obediently 
to  live  in  unchangeable  subjection  and  submission  to  the  Church 
Order,  established  among  us  by  the  Reverend  Classis,  and  to 
their  ecclesiastical  ordinances  which  may  in  future  be  issued. 
Our  condition  grieves  our  hearts  all  the  more,  because  our 
former  members,  with  whom,  in  the  beginning  of  our  religious 
services,  we  had  lived,  as  members  of  Christ's  body,  united  in 
love  in  one  congregation,  have  been  led  astray  into  such  de- 
structive separation  and  hatred  by  men  who  want  to  call  them- 
selves teachers  of  our  true  Church,  yet  despise  the  Reverend 
Classis  as  well  as  your  Reverences. 

We  humbly  pray  your  Reverences,  as  our  highly  esteemed 
patrons,  who  have  exerted  themselves  with  so  much  labor  for 
our  edification   (which  God  may  reward  graciously),  not  to 


220  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

feel  wearied  because  of  us,  innocent  people,  but  graciously 
to  represent  us  before  the  Reverend  Classis  with  your  in- 
fluential intercessory  letters,  that  we  may  learn  how  this  dis- 
graceful affair  may  be  terminated. 

We  doubt  not  that  the  Reverend  Classis,  according  to  the 
wisdom  which  God  vouchsafes  to  His  faithful  servants,  will 
be  able  to  find  a  way  by  which  we,  adopted  by  them  as  their 
children  for  Jesus'  sake,  may  hereafter  be  preserved  in  peace, 
be  relieved  of  our  grief  and  again  be  built  up  into  the  Church 
of  Christ. 

Commending  Your  Reverences,  our  most  esteemed  Sirs, 
to  the  gracious  protection  of  God,  we  remain. 

Your  most  obedient   and   most   devoted    fellow-brethren 
in  the  Lord, 

JoH.  Ph.  BoEhm,  pastor. 
Schipbach,  November  5,   1730. 

Elders        (J^''''  M^y^^/-^ 

j  Christian  Neuschwanger, 

^^  "^LORENTZ  BiNGEMANN, 

Deacons      /  „  o  ^ 

(^ Peter  Stephan. 


[XIV.    THE  CLASSIS  OF  AMSTERDAM  TO  THE  REV.  JOHN 
PHILIP  BOEHM,  DECEMBER  5,  1730."] 

Reverend  Sir  and  Beloved  Brother: — 

From  your  letter  of  January  29th,  1730,  we  learned  that  the 
letters  of  the  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  to  the  Consistory,  as 
well  as  to  yourself,  were  duly  received,  and  that  they  tended  to  revive 
you,  because  the  Classis  takes  such  a  hearty  interest  in  the  welfare  of 
the  churches  in  Pennsylvania. 

We  not  only  thank  you  for  your  kind  wishes  towards  us,  but  we 
express  our  sympathy  with  you  in  your  poverty.     Especially  do  we  do 

"John  Meyer  (Mayer)  was  one  of  the  seventy-five  signers  of  a 
petition  addressed  by  the  people  of  the  neighborhood  of  Falkner 
Swamp  and  Goshenhoppen  to  Governor  Gordon,  on  April  29,  1728, 
asking  for  protection  against  invading  Indians.  See  Rupp,  Thirty 
Thousand  Names,  p.  470. 

"A  copy  of  the  original  is  in  the  Classical  Letterbook, Wo]. XX'IX, 
p.  65.  It  was  first  printed  in  the  Eccl.  Records  of  N.  Y.,  Vol.  IV, 
p.  2521f. 


LETTER  OF  1730  221 

this,  because  we  are  informed, — and  to  which  we  refer  in  no  obscure 
terms  to  your  Consistory, — that  schisms  and  divisions  still  exist  among 
.  ju,  and  that  many  discontented  ones — especially  in  the  church  of 
Schipbach — still  stand  aloof,  dissatisfied  with  your  service,  and  un- 
willing to  acknowledge  you  a?  their  pastor  and  teacher. 

This  grieves  our  very  souls,  because  we  well  know  that  thereby 
the  edification  of  the  church  will  be  greatly  hindered,  as  well  as  the  in- 
crease of  the  congregation.  Therefore  we  have  written  in  a  fatherly 
and  brotherly  manner  to  the  discontented  in  Schipbach,  earnestly  be- 
seeching and  admonishing  them  to  reconciliation  and  unity.  We  hope 
God  will  so  impress  this  upon  their  consciences  that  we  may  soon 
learn  of  the  desired  result;  and  that  they  have  acknowledged  yourself 
and  ministry,  and  have  received  you  as  bishop  of  their  souls. 

Among  other  things  v/e  have  proposed,  as  a  means  towards 
peace,  that  you  and  the  Reverend  Mr.  Weis, — whom  we  find  inclined 
to  peace  and  promotion  of  our  object, — exchange  pulpits  occasionally; 
you  preaching  in  Philadelphia,  and  Mr.  Weis  in  Schipbach.  He  might 
thus  influence  your  congregation  to  peace.  The  congregation  also,  on 
observing  your  unity  and  friendship  would  be  convinced  of  its  neces- 
sity among  themselves. 

It  is  therefore  our  fatherly  and  brotherly  advice  and  admonition 
to  you  to  agree  to  this  measure,  and  to  arrange  it  with  Rev.  Mr.  Weis — 
who  has  heartily  agreed  to  it  himself — and  then  to  exercise  all  friend- 
liness, gentleness  and  peaceableness,  as  becomes  a  servant  of  Jesus 
Christ,  in  order  to  quiet  excited  feelings,  and  to  win  the  people  by 
love.  We  have  a  well  grounded  hope  that  if  you  thus  co-operate,  with 
gentleness,  that  we  shall  see  blessed  results  to  our  proposal  and  ad- 
monition. Thus  not  only  the  churches  in  the  wilderness  will  be  built 
up  and  edified,  but  you  in  your  needy  condition  will  be  encouraged ; 
for  if  peace  is  effected — for  which  we  pray  God — of  course,  some 
profit  to  your  temporal  condition  will  result.  We  have  understood 
that  there  are  some  well-to-do  members  in  the  congregation  at  Schip- 
bach, and  that  there  is  a  building  for  divine  service.  Besides  when 
peace  is  effected  there  will  be  more  hope  of  assistance  from  other 
places.  We  shall  be  encouraged  at  hearing  that  our  pious  endeavors 
have  been  blessed.  We  hope  for  this  from  the  All-Sufiicient  One. 
who  has  begun  to  plant  His  Church  in  that  wilderness.  May  He 
cause  His  Church  and  congregations  to  increase  to  the  honor  of  His 
adorable  name,  to  the  extension  of  the  Kingdom  of  Jesus,  and  the 
salvation  of  many  souls.  May  He  strengthen  you  with  His  spirit, 
make  your  ministry  fruitful,  and  unite  your  minds  in  the  fear  of  His 
name  and  command  His  blessing  upon  all  that  is  yours.  With  this 
wish,  we  remain,  etc., 

J.    B.A.KKER, 

Dep.  Cl.  ad.  res  cxteras. 
P.  S.     We  request  that  we  may  he  informed  in  due  time  cf  the 
result  of  our  counsel  of  peace ;  and  that  you  will  please  to  maintain 
the  agreeable  correspondence  with  the  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam. 


222  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

[XV.    THE  CLASSIS  OF  AMSTERDAM  TO  THE  OVERSEERS 
OF  THE  THREE  GERMAN   CHURCHES  IX   PENN- 
SYLVANIA, DECEMBER  5,  1730."] 

To  the  Overseers  of  the  three  Congregations  of  Falckner  Schzaam, 

Schipbach  and  IVeitmarsh. 
Dear  Brethren  : — 

It  appears  to  us  from  your  communication  of  January  29,  1730, 
that  the  letters  of  the  Reverend  Classis  came  to  your  hands,  and  gave 
you  joy;  especially  the  last,  concerning  the  ordination  of  Rev.  Mr. 
Boehm,  which  we  understand  has  taken  place;  and  that  some  discon- 
tented ones  were  thereupon  satisfied,  and  have  recognized  Rev.  Mr. 
Boehm  as  their  lawful  pastor. 

But,  meanwhile,  we  are  not  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  schisms  and 
contentions  still  exist.  This  distresses  us,  because  the  churches  are 
thereby  threatened  with  great  danger,  and  the  planting  and  upbuilding 
of  the  churches  are  thereby  greatly  hindered. 

Men  and  women,  we  admonish  you  to  brotherly  unanimity,  and 
to  the  use  of  every  gentle  measure  with  the  discontented,  in  order  to 
secure  mutual  peace;  that  you  co-operate  with  your  pastors  to  de- 
stroy all  alienation  and  discord,  and  the  evils  resulting  therefrom ; 
and  that  you  sacredly  maintain  the  Church  Order  which  you  have 
adopted ;  that  the  breach  may  be  healed  and  the  congregation  be 
edified. 

To  this  end,  we  have  written  not  only  to  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm,  but 
also  to  the  discontented  in  Schipbach.  Through  this,  we  expect, 
with  God's  blessing,  this  desirable  result.  Thus,  when  peace  is 
restored  among  the  brethren,  we  believe  that  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm  will 
be  not  a  little  strengthened,  in  his  poverty,  and  animated  anew;  and 
that  the  church  in  Schipbach  will  rejoice  in  the  exercise  of  public 
worship. 

We  will  never  withdraw  ourselves,  but  will  gladly  come  to  the 
aid  of  your  churches,  not  only  with  fraternal  and  fatherly  counsel, 
but  as  far  as  possible  also  with  deeds.  Rev.  Mr.  Weis  has  already 
proof  of  this ;  for  he  has  been  provided  with  certain  charitable  gifts 
for  the  building  of  a  church  in  Philadelphia. 

The  greatest  inducements  for  continuing  such  charities  towards 
you  are,  unanimity  among  yourselves,  peaceableness,  love  for  the 
church  order  and  for  the  extension  of  the  Savior's  Kingdom  among 
you.     May  God  give  you  the  spirit  of  charity. 

Worthy  Sirs  and  Beloved  Brethren,  etc., 

J.  Barker, 
Dep.  CI.  ad  res  exteras. 
Amsterdam, 

December  5,  1730. 

■*A  copy  of  the  original  letter  is  in  the  Classical  Letterbook, 
Vol.  XXIX,  p.  64;  first  printed  in  Eccl.  Records  of  N.  Y.,  Vol.  IV,  p. 
2523f. 


LETTER  OF  1730  223 

[XVI.     THE   CLASSIS   OF  AMSTERDAM   TO   THE   CHURCH 
OF  SKIPPACX,  DECEMBER  5,  1730."] 

To  the  Friends  and  Elders  of  the  Church  of  Schipbach. 
Much  Belovted  Brethren  : — 

Your  letter  of  'May  10,  1730,  we  have  not  only  received,  but  care- 
fully considered.  We  have  learned  therefrom  your  objections  against 
the  appointment  and  ordination  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm  as  lawful  min- 
ister and  pastor  in  Pennsylvania;  and  especially  that  you  would  not 
like  to  accept  and  acknowledge  him  as  a  shepherd  of  Jesus  Christ  in 
the  church  at  Schipbach,  under  pretext  that  he  has  succeeded  in  se- 
curing his  ordination  and  confirmation,  as  regular  shepherd  and 
teacher,  with  the  knowledge  of  only  a  few ;  and  without  the  knowledge, 
and  even  in  opposition  to  a  majority  of  the  church  at  Schipbach. 

It  grieves  us  brethren,  to  the  soul,  to  see  so  injurious  a  schism 
and  such  discord  in  a  newly  organized  church,  whereby  its  growth  must 
be  greatly  hindered,  if  not,  except  for  proper  interposition,  entirely 
destroyed.  It  goes  to  our  hearts.  Oh  1  that  you  would  take  to  heart 
the  welfare  of  God's  Church.  Love  for  Zion  and  for  the  peace  of  the 
brethren,  moves  us  to  communicate  to  you  our  fatherly  and  brotherly 
admonitions.  Receive  then,  brethren,  we  beseech  you,  in  God's  name 
and  with  a  peace-loving  heart,  what  we  now  send  you,  that  all  may 
tend  to  the  restoration  and  confirmation  of  peace,  to  the  edification 
of  the  church  and  to  the  salvation  of  many  souls. 

From  the  beginning,  we  declare  that  nothing  rejoiced  us  more 
than  the  prospect  of  a  possibility  of  peace.  Were  it  within  our  power 
we  would  procure  you  a  pastor  and  teacher  who  would  be  agreeable 
and  acceptable  to  all,  and  who  would  build  you  up  in  doctrine  and 
walk  of  life.  But  you  know  as  well  as  ourselves,  that  this  is  beyond 
our  ability;  since  you  providentially  dwell  in  a  land  where  the  means 
of  grace — the  dispensers  of  God's  mysteries,  are  still  unplentiful.  In 
such  places,  therefore,  one  must  be  content  with  such  means  as  God, 
in  His  good  pleasure,  grants  in  answer  to  prayer. 

The  Reverend  Classis  having  taken  into  earnest  consideration, 
and  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  your  remonstrance,  and  the  earnest  re- 
quests made  by  your  delegates,  is  of  the  opinion : 

That  the  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm  ought  to  be  recognized  as  the  lawful 
shepherd  and  teacher  in  Pennsylvania,  because  by  order  of  Classis, 
(upon  the  representation  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm  and  certain  ones  in 
the  churches  of  Pennsylvania,  who  earnestly  desired  it)  he  was 
confirmed  and  properly  ordained  thereto  by  the  ministers  in  New 
York,  who  were  requested  to  do  this,  if  he  submitted  to  the  conditions 
prescribed  to  him  by  this  Qassis ;  and  also,  because,  in  connection 
therewith,  reconciliation  was  effected  between  Rev.  Messrs.  Weis  and 

"A  copy  of  the  original  is  in  the  Letterhook  of  the  Classis, 
Vol.  XXIX,  p.  61 ;  first  printed  in  Bed.  Records  of  N.  Y.,  Vol.  IV, 
pp.  2525-2528. 


224  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

Boehm,    and    each    was    allotted    to    a    separate    church    by    mutual 
agreement. 

Beloved  Brethren,  your  dissatisfaction  with  this  act,  and  your 
representation  that  the  request  of  Mr.  Boehm  and  a  few  others  took 
place  without  your  knowledge,  and  that  the  ordination  does  not  meet 
with  your  approval,  cannot  induce  Classis  to  make  null  the  solemn 
ordination  of  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm.  The  Classis  is  of  opinion,  therefore, 
that  this  ordination  must  stand.  We  hope  this  will  not  displease  you, 
for  how  could  so  solemn  an  act  be  made  void  without  desecration 
of  God's  name?  Although  the  request  for,  and  the  ordination  itself, 
took  place  without  your  knowledge,  yet  it  did  take  place  with  the 
knowledge,  and  at  the  request,  of  some  in  the  Church  and  in  the  Con- 
sistory. Inasmuch  as  the  Reverend  Classis  recognizes  Mr.  Boehm 
as  a  lawfully  ordained  pastor,  it  is  our  earnest  request  that  you  not 
only  be  reconciled  in  a  fraternal  and  Christian  manner  with  Rev.  Mr. 
Boehm,  but  that  you  accept  and  recognize  him  as  your  shepherd  and 
the  overseer  of  your  church ;  that  you  lovingly  listen  to  his  teachings 
and  Christian  admonitions ;  that  you  receive  from  him  the  sacred 
seals  of  the  covenant,  maintaining  and  cherishing  the  communion  of 
saints ;  that  you  may  be  the  better  built  up  in  faith  and  in  the  hope 
of  salvation. 

If  any  among  you  think  that  it  was  a  great  misdeed  that  they 
were  overlooked,  and  therefore  refuse  to  submit  themselves  to  peaceful 
counsels,  then  let  the  peaceably  disposed  labor  v/ith  these  brethren  with 
all  gentleness,  to  convince  them ;  and  to  this  end,  the  actual  ordination 
which  took  place  in  New  York  will  be  a  powerful  argument. 

And  since  a  sacred  reconciliation  was  effected  between  Rev. 
Messrs.  Weis  and  Boehm,  so  that  they  sometimes  now.  in  a  spirit  of 
fraternal  unity,  exchange  pulpits ;  therefore  let  the  Rev.  Mr.  Weis 
at  such  times,  urge  the  discontented  to  peace,  according  to  his  ov.'n 
peaceable  disposition,  and  promise  thus  to  act  as  opportunity  may  offer. 
By  such  exchange  and  efforts,  the  churches  will  be  impressed  by  the 
unity  of  faith. 

Dear  brethren,  we  pray  you  to  consider  that  love  is  the  basis  of 
our  admonition ;  that  charity  is  the  principal  duty  and  adornment  of 
the  Christian ;  that  love  and  unity  among  the  brethren  constitute  the 
great  strength  of  the  Church  of  God,  by  which  she  it  built  up  and  es- 
tablished ;  that  it  ever  behooves  Christian  brethren  to  forgive  any 
wrong  that  has  been  done.  We  say,  therefore,  with  Paul,  "Put  on, 
therefore,  as  the  elect  of  God,  holy  and  beloved,  bowels  of  mercy, 
kindness,  humbleness  of  mind,  meekness,  long-suffering :  forbearing 
one  another  and  forgiving  one  another,  if  any  man  have  a  quarrel 
against  any ;  even  as  Christ  forgave  you.  so  also  do  ye.  And  above 
all  things,  put  on  charity,  which  is  the  bond  of  perfectness:  and 
let  the  peace  of  God  rule  in  your  hearts;  to  the  which  also  ye  are 
called,  in  one  body." 

Please  also  to  remember  that  you  live  in  a  country  where  the 
church  has  but  a  feeble  beginning,  where  it  has  been  but  just  planted. 


LETTER  OF  1730  225 

where,  although  the  harvest  is  great,  the  laborers  are  few.  It  is  only 
by  God's  grace  that  the  light  of  the  Gospel  beams  upon  you  at  all, 
and  that  you  have  any  opportunities  to  hear  the  truth.  Do  not  show 
that  you  have  received  this  grace  of  God  in  vain.  Let  it  be  seen  that 
your  hearts  are  filled  with  love  for  Gospel  truth,  that  you  seek  the 
increase  of  God's  Church,  the  extension  of  the  Gospel,  the  promotion 
of  the  knowledge  of  the  doctrine  of  truth,  and  the  salvation  of  your 
souls.  This  will  appear,  if  you  use  the  means  which  God  gives  you, 
although  they  be  not  exactly  according  to  your  liking.  Is  it  not  better 
to  hear  the  Word  of  God  from  the  mouth  of  a  minister,  even  though 
he  be  despised  by  some ;  even  though  he  had  been  guilty  of  some 
error,  rather  than  miss  the  ministration  of  the  Word  altogether?  If 
you  refuse  to  accept  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm,  how  shall  the  Church  be  edified 
by  the  public  declaration  of  God's  Word,  when  the  number  of  min- 
isters in  those  regions  is  so  small?  Convince  us,  therefore,  brethren, 
by  peaceful  conduct  that  you  truly  hunger  and  thirst  after  right- 
eousness. 

We  pray  you  to  consider  that  through  disaffection  the  pious  are 
grieved,  the  godless  rejoice,  and  God's  name  is  blasphemed  among  the 
unbelieving.  But  we  beseech  you,  brethren,  to  labor  with  us  to  pre- 
vent this,  and  to  this  end  listen  to  our  brotherly  admonitions.  We 
expect  this,  with  God's  gracious  blessing,  because  you  count  it  a  favor 
that  the  Reverend  Classis  takes  to  heart  your  affairs,  and  the  condi- 
tion of  the  churches  in  Pennsylvania.  You  also  express  your  grati- 
tude for  this,  and  especially  because  you  praise  the  Classis  for  seek- 
ing to  advance  the  best  interests  of  the  Church.  The  greatest  proof 
to  us  of  this,  your  gratitude,  as  declared,  will  be  your  acceptance  of 
this  Christian  counsel  of  the  Reverend  Classis.  Thus  will  the  breach 
be  restored,  offences  avoided,  the  piety  and  edification  of  the  churches 
promoted. 

We  add,  finally,  that  you  may  learn  from  Rev.  Mr.  Weis  and 
your  delegate,  how  we  are  seeking  to  edify  and  quicken  the  churches 
in  Pennsylvania,  not  only  with  loving  counsels  but  also  with  loving 
gifts.  In  conclusion,  we  hope  and  pray  that  the  God  of  love  and 
peace  may  bind  you  together  in  love  and  peace  and  reverence  for  His 
name.  May  He  cause  the  churches  in  Pennsylvania,  as  well  as  in 
the  Netherlands  to  flourish,  and  may  He  command  His  divine  blessing 
on  you  all. 

In  hope  that  we  may  be  revived  by  an  answer  from  you,  an- 
nouncing peace,  we  remain. 

Worthy  Sirs  and  Beloved  Brethren,  etc. 

J.  Barker, 
Amsterdam,  Dep.  CI.  ad  res  exteras. 

December  5.  1730. 


226  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

[XVII.    THE  CLASSIS  OF  AMSTERDAM  TO  THE  MINISTERS 
OF  NEW  YORK,  DECEMBER,  1730."] 

Reverend,  Godly  and  Very  Learned  Gentlemen,  Much  Beloved  Brethren 
in  Christ: — 

Your  esteemed  letter  of  April  21,  1730,  enclosing  also  letters 
from  Rev.  Boehm  and  his  Consistory,  together  with  writings  to  Rev. 
Boehm,  came  duly  to  hand.  We  learned  therefrom  not  only  that  our 
letters  of  December  1,  1728,  and  of  June  20,  1729,  were  received  by 
you,  and  that  the  letters  enclosed  were  sent  to  Rev.  Boehm  and  the 
brethren  in  Pennsylvania  by  your  care;  but  also,  to  our  great  joy, 
that  the  ordination  of  Rev.  Boehm  had  taken  place,  and  that  a  recon- 
ciliation had  been  effected  between  him  and  Weis.  We  thank  the 
good  God  that  it  pleased  Him  to  bring  this  business  to  such  a  desir- 
able end,  by  influencing  their  minds  to  peace,  and  by  so  blessing  our 
endeavors. 

We  cannot  neglect  to  commend  your  efforts  in  this  matter,  and 
to  express  our  satisfaction  therewith.  The  advice  and  direction  of 
Classis  were  completely,  and  very  exactly,  executed  by  you,  and  with 
the  greatest  prudence  and  wisdom.  We  consider  ourselves  under 
great  obligations  to  you  for  your  charity  and  labor,  as  well  as  for  your 
great  care  against  Congregationalism.  This,  you  rightly  judge,  pro- 
duces very  injurious  results.  We  pray  God  to  remember  your  labor 
of  love,  and  to  crown  you  with  his  richest  blessing,  to  the  welfare 
and  establishment  of  Zion. 

We  are  not  surprised,  Worthy  Brethren,  that  you  are  not  pleased 
with  so  much  troublesome  correspondence,  and  that  for  the  reasons 
given,  you  would  gladly  be  excused.  We  well  understand  that  re- 
peated requests,  especially  of  parties  in  dispute,  are  costly  and  difficult, 
giving  you  much  perplexity,  and  frequently  leaving  dissatisfaction  in 
those  who  are  not  suited.  But  we  are  still  more  rejoiced,  and  we 
acknowledge  it  with  gratitude,  that  you  have  allowed  yourselves  to  be 
convinced,  notwithstanding  the  difficulties,  as  to  the  duty  to  continue 
said  correspondence,  and  that  thereby  you  console  yourselves  for  the 
hard  labor.  Your  conclusion  gives  us  much  satisfaction,  Reverend 
Sirs,  and  we  earnestly  request  you  to  persevere  therein.  We  think  it, 
therefore,  unnecessary,  to  advance  any  new  reasons,  for  we  are  con- 
vinced by  your  communication  that  you  will  not  shirk  the  duty.  We 
are  sure  you  appreciate,  as  well  as  ourselves,  the  necessity  and  ad- 
vantage therefrom  to  the  Church  of  God.  For  whither  could  per- 
plexed people  and  those  in  need  of  counsel,  turn  in  a  land  where 
ministers  of  experience  are  few.  How  could  schisms,  with  the 
offenses  and  disputes  resulting  therefrom,  be  avoided,  except  by  the 
aid  of  men  who  have  their  senses  exercised  in  the  Word  of  God,  and 

"A  copy  of  the  original  is  in  the  Letterhook  of  Classis,  Vol. 
XXIX,  p.  58;  first  printed  in  Eccl.  Records  of  N.  ¥.,  Vol.  IV,  pp.  2528- 
2532. 


LETTER  OF  1730  227 

in  the  government  of  the  Church?  We  trust  that  God  may  prevent 
/our  ever  sorrowing  that  you  have  taken  this  task  upon  yourselves. 
May  He  pour  out  upon  you  the  spirit  of  wisdom.  May  He  make  you 
strong  and  of  good  courage,  always  abounding  in  the  work  of  the 
Lord.  May  your  counsels  ever  be  successful,  that  the  peace  and  pros- 
perity of  the  Church  may  continue  under  your  hands,  according  to  the 
good  pleasure  of  the  Lord. 

But  agreeable  as  is  your  conduct,  as  well  as  the  reconciliation 
affected  between  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Weis  and  Boehm,  we  are  grieved 
at  the  complaints  of  those  who  yet  remain  dissatisfied,  and  refuse  to 
acknowledge  Rev.  Boehm  as  a  lawful  minister.  They  have  written  to 
us  concerning  this,  seeking  to  invalidate  the  ordination  that  has  been 
performed,  on  the  pretence  that  all  was  done  without  their  knowledge, 
and  even  in  spite  of  them. 

So  far,  however,  is  the  Classis  from  agreeing  to  any  such  thing, 
that  it  ratifies  that  ordination  as  having  been  legally  done,  and  de- 
clares your  action  right.  The  dissatisfied  have  also  been  particularly 
informed,  with  admonitions  added,  and  earnest  prayers,  to  recognize 
Rev.  Boehm  as  their  lawful  pastor  and  teacher,  and  to  confirm  and 
approve  the  compact  entered  into  by  Revs.  Weis  and  Boehm.  We  trust 
that  our  counsel  of  love,  re-enforced  by  yours  as  speedily  as  possible, 
may  have,  under  God's  blessing,  the  desired  result.  We  have  also 
most  kindly  admonished  Rev.  Boehm  and  his  adherents,  to  co-operate 
most  gently,  in  order  to  win  the  dissatisfied  ones  by  love. 

Rev.  Weis,  with  a  delegate  [Reifif],  from  the  church  of  Schip- 
bach,  has  been  here  to  collect  means  to  build  a  church  in  Philadelphia. 
This  has  enabled  us  to  become  well  acquainted  with  him  and  to  con- 
verse with  him  particularly  about  the  dispute  yet  remaining.  We  tes- 
tify to  his  praise  that  we  found  him  gentle,  modest  and  inclined  to 
peace.  He  and  his  companion  have  faithfully  promised  their  earnest 
co-operation,  to  seek  to  induce  the  dissatisfied  to  accept  the  resolution 
of  Gassis,  and  Rev.  Boehm,  as  their  lawful  pastor.  We  have  also 
proposed  that  Revs.  Weis  and  Boehm  should  exchange  pulpits,  that 
the  former  might  the  better  be  enabled  to  quiet  excited  feelings ;  and 
the  congregations,  being  convinced  of  the  friendship  of  the  pastors, 
might  be  moved  to  similar  unanimity.  Rev.  Weis  having  consented  to 
this,  we  have  proposed  the  same  to  the  Rev.  Boehm. 

We  have  favored  the  object  of  Rev.  Weis  as  far  as  we  could. 
His  undertaking  has  been  by  no  means  fruitless.  He  has  not  only 
received  gifts  from  the  Synod  of  North  Holland,  but  will  receive  them 
from  that  of  South  Holland,  which  has  adopted  the  church  of  Philadel- 
phia as  recommended.  The  Consistory  and  Diaconate  of  Amsterdam 
have  also  done  their  part.  He  has  even  received  permission  from  the 
Burgomasters  of  Amsterdam,  to  collect  funds  in  the  city  at  large.  We 
have  certainly  shown  ourselves  willing  to  help  the  churches  of  Penn- 
sylvania with  both  counsels  and  deeds.  We  trust  this  will  be  a  blessed 
means,  among  other  things,  to  convince  the  churches  of  Pennsylvania 
of  our  enthusiasm  in  their  behalf,  and  move  them  to  peace  and  con- 


228  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

cord.    We  will  be  very  happy,  as  well  as  heartily  thankful,  to  under- 
stand that  all  breaches  are  healed,  and  the  churches  united. 

May  the  King  of  Zion  make  the  church  of  your  locality  and  the 
neighboring  regions,  as  well  as  ours,  to  blossom  as  the  rose.  May  He 
bestow  upon  her  the  glory  of  Lebanon,  and  the  beauty  of  Carmel  and 
Sharon.  May  He  enable  us  to  behold  the  beauty  of  the  Lord  and  the 
glory  of  our  God.  May  the  All-Sufficient  One  bestow  upon  you  abun- 
dantly an  overflowing  measure  of  His  Spirit,  and  spare  you  long  as 
blessed  instruments  in  His  hands  to  build  up  Zion's  fallen  walls,  and 
to  strengthen  them.  May  He  also  crown  your  families,  as  well  as 
your  churches,  with  His  gracious  blessing,  and  at  last  give  you  the 
reward  belonging  to  the  faithful. 

Such  are  our  sincere  wishes,  as  we  subscribe  ourselves,  with 
esteem, 

The  Qassis  of  Amsterdam, 
In  the  name  of  all, 

Peter  Elzevir, 
Ecc.  Amst.  Dep.  ad  res  exteras,  h.  t.  Praeses. 

John  Vischer, 
Ecc.  Amst.  Dep.  ad  res  exteras,  h.  t.  Scriba. 
Amsterdam, 

December,  1730. 

P.  S.  Worthy  Sirs :— Classis  has  resolved,  in  token  of  their 
appreciation  of  the  trouble  taken  in  the  maintenance  of  our  wholesome 
correspondence,  and  to  enable  you  to  have  more  light  on  cases  as  they 
occur,  to  send  you  a  copy  of  the  Minutes  of  the  Synod  of  North 
Holland.  These  are  for  your  personal  use,  and  that  of  your  churches 
in  America,  and  others  with  whom  you  correspond.  H  this  is  not  dis- 
agreeable to  you,  we  will  continue  to  do  the  same. 


[XVin.    THE  CLASSIS  OF  AMSTERDAM  TO'  THE  REV.  MR. 
BOEHM,  OCTOBER  19.  1731."] 

To  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bocltm  in  Pennsylvania. 
Reverend  Sir  and  Brother: — 
Your  letter,  together  with  those  two  little  books  sent  to  us,  have 
been  considered  in  Classis.  You  complain  of  Rev.  Mr.  Weis.  We  are 
sorry  that  discord  and  dispute  have  arisen,  but  we  trust  that  Rev.  Mr. 
Weis,  who  had  not  yet  returned  when  you  wrote  that  letter,  but  ar- 
rived afterwards,  has  conducted  himself  according  to  the  instructions 
given  him  by  the  Reverend  Classis,  and  that  the  discord  and  disputes 
have  turned   into  mutual   peace   and  love.     For   we  do  pray   and   ad- 

"A  copy  of  the  original  is  in  the  Letterbook  of  Classis,  Vol. 
XXIX,  p.  m. 


LETTER  OF  1731  229 

monish  you,  even  as  we  also  write  to  Rev.  Mr.  Weis,  that  you  pursue 
peace  and  put  on  charity,  which  is  the  bond  of  perfectness  and  that 
you  unitedly  seek  to  advance  the  work  of  the  Lord,  with  all  unanimity, 
watchfulness  and  fidelity. 

We  take  it  for  granted  that  the  Rev.  Mr.  Weis  has  already  ar- 
rived in  Pennsylvania.  The  Classis  expects  from  each  of  you  a  letter 
to  inform  us  further  of  the  condition  of  affairs.  Then,  having  learned 
everything  from  each  of  you,  we  may  deliberate  accordingly,  even  as 
matters  shall  then  appear  to  us.  Meanwhile  we  do  not  conceal  from 
you,  that  it  seems  strange  that  we  have  not  yet  received  a  single  letter 
from  Rev.  Mr.  W^eis  since  his  departure  hence.  We  have  no  report 
yet  whether  he  has  arrived  in  Pennsylvania  or  not,  and  has  taken  over 
the  funds  which  he  received  here.  The  Reverend  Classis  requests 
that  you  will  inform  us  concerning  this  at  the  earliest  opportunity. 

As  regards  those  two  German  books,  which  were  sent  to  us  with 
your  letter,  they  were  foun4  to  be  so  foolish  as  to  deserve  no  con- 
sideration whatever.  We  do  not  think  they  will  make  any  impression 
upon  men  of  intelligence  and  judgment,  and  therefore  we  feel  sure 
that  the  positions  taken  therein  will  crumble  and  disappear  very  soon, 
of  their  own  accord. 

But  of  more  importance  is  the  proposition  which  you  make  re- 
garding the  congregations  in  Canastoka  and  elsewhere,  which  would 
gladly  subject  themselves  under  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam  and  re- 
quest that  the  Reverend  Classis  empower  you  to  visit  these  churches, 
etc.,  and  that  we  send  information  thereof  to  those  churches.  This 
matter  does  not  appear  a  bad  one  to  Classis,  and  it  will  gladly  con- 
tribute anything,  which  may  be  conducive  to  the  welfare  and  edification 
of  those  congregations.  But  the  Classis  expects  that  those  congrega- 
tions will  first  appear  themselves  and  make  such  a  proposition,  so  that 
their  object  and  request  may  be  clearly  manifest.  Meantime  the 
Classis  thinks  that  you  should  consult  about  this  matter  further  with 
Rev.  Mr.  Weis,  and  we  request  that  you  both  then  send  us  further 
information  thereof,  whereby  these  matters  may  be  further  decided. 

This  is  what  we  have  to  write  for  the  present.  Wishing  that 
the  God  of  all  grace  grant  you  peace,  charity  and  every  desired  blessing 
in  the  work  of  the  ministry,  and  that  the  Lord  may  make  it  fruitful  to 
the  ingathering  and  upbuilding  of  many  souls  and  to  the  extension  of 
the  Kingdom  of  Jesus,  we  remain,  etc., 

J.  Barker, 
Dep.  CI.  ad  res  exteras. 


230  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

[XIX.    THE  SYNODICAL  DEPUTIES  TO  THE  REV.  JOHN 
PHILIP  BOEHM,  DECEMBER  1,  1731."] 
Reverend,  Pious  and  Much  Beloved  Brother  in  Christ,  Philippus  Boehm. 
Dear  Sir: — 

The  two  Christian  Synods  of  South  Holland  and  North  Holland 
have  charged  us,  their  Deputies,  to  inquire  carefully  into  the  state  of 
the  churches  in  Pennsylvania,  in  order  that  they  might  have  informa- 
tion concerning  all  that  might  tend  towards  the  growth  of  the  vineyard 
of  Christ  and  the  upbuilding  of  the  congregations  among  the  High  Ger- 
man churches  there.  We  have  received  requests  from  Do.  Weitsius 
[Weiss]  and  the  elder  Ryff  for  some  charitable  gifts  for  the  building 
of  some  churches  there  and  that  we  might  give  counsel  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  well  ordered  church  organization. 

We  also  have  received  a  letter  from  Philadelphia  and  Schibbach, 
dated  May  10,  1730,  in  which  the  writers,  as  elders  and  members  of  the 
congregation  of  Philadelphia  and  Schibbach,  make  complaints  regarding 
your  Reverence,  that  you  have  not  studied,  that  you  know  no  principles 
of  theology  and  have  not  been  lawfully  ordained  as  minister.  Further 
than  that  we  have  no  accurate  report,  neither  about  the  condition  of 
the  church,  the  church  services,  the  number  of  the  members,  nor  of  the 
means  at  hand  for  the  building  of  churches,  nor  of  the  support  given 
to  ministers  and  schoolmasters,  nor  of  many  other  necessary  things. 
We  have  written  a  lengthy  letter  to  the  Reverend  Consistory  of  Phila- 
delphia, which  we  ask  you  also  to  read  and  that  you  will  give  us  a  re- 
port beside  the  one  they  will  be  pleased  to  send  us.  Especially  that 
your  Reverence  will  defend  yourself  and  make  answer  to  the  above 
mentioned  accusations.  We  are  also  told  that  you  have  already  left  the 
province  of  Penns)'lvania.  But,  if  this  letter  will  reach  you,  be  pleased 
to  write  us  as  speedily  as  possible  and  report  to  us  all  that  you  con- 
sider necessary  to  convey  a  knowledge  of  the  land  and  Church  of  Penn- 
sylvania to  our  Christian  Synods,  also  all  that  may  serve  to  acquaint 
us  truthfully  with  your  affairs  and  the  quarrel  with  Do.  Weitsius.  We 
advise  and  request  your  Reverence  to  seek  peace  with  all  men,  espe- 
cially with  those  who  are  sharers  of  the  same  precious  faith. 

Wishing  further  that  the  God  of  truth  and  peace  will  lead  your 
Reverence  into  all  truth  and  will  guide  you  more  and  more  by  His 
Spirit  and  make  you  a  zealous  instrument  in  the  work  of  the  ministry, 
to  the  perfecting  of  the  saints  and  to  the  edification  of  the  body  of 
Jesus  Christ,  we  remain  with  all  love  in  the  Lord  Jesus, 

Your  Reverence's 
Ever  Ready  and  Well-wishing 
Friends  and  Brethren, 
The  Deputies  of  the  Synods  of  South  and 
North  Holland, 
In  the  name  and  by  order  of  all  signed 
Gouda,   the   1st  of  Jacobus   Van   Ostade,'" 

December,  1731.  Synodi  Zuid  Holl.  Deputatus. 

"  A  copy  of  the  original  is  in  the  archives  at  The  Hague,  74,  I.  3. 


LETTER  OF  1734  231 

P.  S.  Please  send  your  letter  to  Amsterdam,  and  address  it  to 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Johannes  Visscher,  Minister  of  the  Word  of  God  at 
Amsterdam. 


[XX.    THE    REFORMED    CHURCH    OF    PHILADELPHIA    TO 
MR.  BOEHM,  APRIL  20,  1734.'°] 

Philada.,  April  20,  1734. 
Much  Esteemed  Mr.  Boehm: — 

We,  the  undersigned  German  Reformed  co-religionists,  find  our- 
selves obliged,  in  the  present  state  of  our  congregational  and  church 
affairs,  to  submit  our  need  and  our  affairs  to  you  as  a  member  and 
minister  of  the  Reformed  Church,  asking  you  for  your  good  counsel 
and  praying  you  to  render  us  actual  help. 

It  is  not  unknown  to  Mr.  Boehm  that  four  years  ago  [1730]  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Weiss  and  Jacob  Reiff,  at  some  expense  to  our  congregation, 
went  from  here  to  Holland  and  Germany,  in  order  to  collect  there  to- 
wards the  building  of  some  churches  in  this  wilderness,  since  we,  poor 
German  inhabitants,  are  ourselves  unable  to  do  this.  As  a  result  some 
charitable  gifts  were  collected,  as  Do.  Boehm  knows  and  himself  re- 
ceived letters  from  Holland  concerning  it."  At  the  return  of  the  said 
Rev.  Mr.  Weiss,  who  came  back  before  Jacob  Reiff,  we  learned  from 
him  that  he  had  received  2140  florins,  Dutch  currency,  from  the  kind 
Classes  of  Holland,  for  which  he  had  given  receipt  and  that  they  had 
moreover  promised  that  another  considerable  sum  should  follow,  after 
these  2140  florins  had  first  been  well  spent  for  the  intended  purpose. 
But  he,  Mr.  Weiss,  had  given  said  sum  of  2140  fl.  to  the  said  J.  Reiff. 

At  his  departure  from  here''  Mr.  Weiss  left  a  written  statement, 

"As  Rev.  Jacobus  van  Ostade  was  the  first  of  the  Synodical 
Deputies  to  correspond  with  the  Reformed  Churches  of  Pennsylvania, 
he  deserves  a  brief  notice.  He  was  born  at  Haarlem,  March  8,  1677, 
son  of  Hendrick  van  Ostade,  a  merchant.  In  1693,  he  entered  the 
University  of  Utrecht;  became  pastor  at  Wiermgerwaard  in  1700;  at 
Ilpendam,  in  1707;  at  Parmerend  in  1708,  and  at  Gouda  in  1716.  While 
pastor  there  he  began  the  correspondence  with  Pennsylvania  in  1731. 
He  died  at  Gouda  July  18,  1745.  He  wrote  a  number  of  theological 
books.  See  Biographisch  Woordenhock  der  Nederlanden.  14th  Part, 
Haarlem.  1867. 

•"A  copy  of  the  original  was  sent  by  Boehm  to  the  Synods.  It 
is  preserved  in  the  archives  at  The  Hague,  74,  I,  26. 

"The  letters  sent  to  Boehm  from  Holland  were:  (1)  a  letter 
of  the  Classical  Deputy,  J.  Bakker,  dated  October  19,  1731 ;  (2)  a  letter 
of  the  Synodical  Deputy,  Jacobus  Van  Ostade,  dated  December  1,  1731. 
For  these  letters,  see  above,  pp.  228-230. 

"Weiss  must  have  left  Philadelphia  in  September,  1731,  for  on 
September  22,  1731,  a  letter  of  recommendation  was  given  him  by  the 


232  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

which  mentioned  this  sum.  But  when  two  years  ago  [1732]  said  Jacob 
Reiff  also  returned,**  he  denied  having  received  such  a  sum  and  ac- 
knowledged to  have  received  not  more  than  750  fl.,  appealing  for  the 
truth  of  it  to  the  presence  of  Do.  Weiss.  Whereupon  he  was  cited  be- 
fore Court"  by  the  elders  and  was  compelled  to  give  bond.  Mean- 
while Rev.  Mr.  Weiss  had  been  requested  both  by  letter  and  by  mes- 
senger to  appear  [before  Court]  in  this  matter.  But  he  was  never 
willing  to  come.  Thus  the  case  is  still  unsettled,  for  neither  Jacob 
Reiff  will  give  an  account  of  his  commission,  nor  will  the  elders  ac- 
count to  the  congregation  for  the  alms  and  for  the  merchandise  which 
they  received  from  Reiff  out  of  the  church-money,  (which  they  denied 
at  first  under  oath)  and  thus  clear  themselves. 

We  also  know  that  the  Hollanders  have  written  twice*'  and  de- 
manded to  know  how  the  collected  money  had  been  used,  etc.,  yet  we 
have  never  seen  anything  of  the  one  nor  of  the  other  letter,  and  are 
therefore  unable  to  say  anything,  except  that  we  regret  having  been 
deceived  in  this  matter. 

Nevertheless,  it  seems  to  us  unpardonable,  both  towards  the  Hol- 
landers, because  of  their  charitable  gifts,  as  well  as  towards  our  de- 
scendants, that  the  case  should  rest  here  and  that  those  who  have  the 
money  now  should  be  allowed  to  retain  it  for  their  own  profit,  and 
that  the  congregation,  to  which  it  had  been  given  to  be  used  for  the 
glory  of  God,  should  be  deprived  of  it.  Therefore  we  desire  to  ask 
Mr.  Boehm  what  he  thinks  of  the  affair  and  whether  it  would  be  ad- 
visable to  report  the  case  to  the  Reformed  Classis  of  New  York,"  as 

elders  at  Philadelphia,  in  which  it  is  stated  that  Weiss  had  resolved 
to  leave  Philadelphia  and  go  to  Albany,  N.  Y.  A  copy  of  this  letter 
was  entered  by  Weiss  into  the  church  record  at  Catskill,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  became  pastor  in  February,  1732. 

'^  Reiff  returned  in  the  summer  of  1732,  for  in  June,  1732,  he 
was  at  Cowes,  England.  See  Reformed  Quarterly  Review,  1893,  Vol. 
XL,  pp.  58-66,  especially  p.  65. 

"For  the  suit  of  the  Philadelphia  Elders  against  Reiff  before 
the  Court  of  Chancery,  see  p.  43f. 

"Three  letters  from  the  authorities  in  Holland  to  the  Philadel- 
phia congregation  are  on  file:  (1)  Letter  of  the  Synodical  Deputy, 
J.  van  Ostade,  dated  December  1,  1731;  (2)  letter  of  Deputy  van 
Ostade,  dated  July  2,  1732;  (3)  letter  of  Deputy  van  Ostade,  dated 
January  11,  1733.  " 

"There  was,  in  1734,  no  Reformed  Classis  of  New  York.  The 
organization  of  the  Reformed  churches  of  New  York,  New  Jersey  and 
Pennsylvania  was  not  discussed  till  April,  1738.  Then  the  draft  of  a 
constitution  was  prepared,  but  the  actual  organization  of  the  Dutch 
Reformed  Coetus  did  not  take  place  till  September  8-10,  1747,  at  New 
York,  see  Acts  and  Proceedings  of  the  General  Synod  of  the  Reformed 
Protestattt  Dutch  Church  in  North  America,  Vol.  I,  New  York,  1859, 
pp.  ix-xiii. 


LETTER  OF  1734  233 

to  our  Reformed  associates  in  the  faith,  either  to  compel  Mr.  Weiss, 
by  virtue  of  their  authority,  tu  come  to  this  place,  since  the  whole  case 
depends  upon  him,  or  to  manifest  their  Christian  love  to  us  by  writing 
in  our  behalf  to  the  Classes  and  Synods  of  Holland,  to  find  out  to 
whom  and  how  much  money  they  really  paid,  so  that  it  may  be  reported 
to  the  courts  here  and  that  at  the  same  time  they  [the  courts]  may 
be  petitioned  to  require  the  restitution  of  the  money  from  the  party 
found  guilty.  To  this  end  we  hereby  kindly  and  duly  request  you  to 
assist  us  with  a  good  recommendation  at  New  York ;  for  we  have 
heard  that  you  are  under  that  Classis  and  under  the  protection  of  the 
Hollanders,  to  whom  we  would  likewise  willingly  submit  ourselves. 
Indeed,  it  does  not  seem  to  us  contrary  to  propriety,  that,  since  we  ask 
help  and  assistance  from  the  Hollanders  as  our  fellow-believers,  we 
should  also  stand  under  their  Church  Order  and  protection.  Our 
three  or  four  elders,"  together  with  Jacob  Reiff,  who  are  opposed  to 
this,  partly  because  of  bitter  hatred  of  you  personally,  partly  because 
of  other  reasons,  do  not  support  us  in  this  matter,  but  we  want  to  be 
free  and  independent  of  them,  otherwise  we  desire  to  live  in   peace. 

We  hope  also  that  the  Hollanders  will  not  take  it  amiss,  that  we 
desire  such  a  statement  and  explanation,  because  we  are  all  plain  trades- 
men and  working  people,  who  do  not  understand  ecclesiastical  affairs, 
but  nevertheless  desire  a  better  condition  of  the  churches  in  this 
country  and  city.  Wherefore  we  also  desire,  after  we  have  first  se- 
cured a  church  building,  that  in  course  of  time  we  may  also  be  sup- 
plied with  an  efficient  minister.  The  qualities  which  our  present  min- 
ister Mr.  R.  [Rieger]  possesses  are  not  able  to  accomplish  anything 
with  such  plain  people  as  are  in  this  country,  as  may  be  well  known  to 
Mr.  Boehm. 

In  the  meantime  we  live  in  the  certain  hope  that  you  will  fra- 
ternally comply  with  our  petition,  for  which  we  feel,  according  to  our 
Christian  duty,  to  be  under  great  obligation  to  you. 

We  are  herewith  Yours,  etc., 
Bernhard  Sigmundt  Joh.  Jacob  Orner 

Stephan  Greif?  Heinrich    Schosler 

Joh.  Ullrich  Gaull  Daniel  Steinmetz 

Joh.  Jorg  Baltz  Frantz  Stiettelfreindt 

Johannes  Jork  X  Reichert  Vetter 

Hans  Jorg  Kremer  Ullrich  Oellen 

Lorentz  Kuntz  Andreas  Klemmer 

Johannes  Scherer  Joh.  Jorg  Senck 

Jacob  Uttre  Rutolf  Wiellecken 

Abraham  Kintzing  Joh.  Jacob  Neuzeholtzer 

Wendel  Brechbiel  Johann  Adam  Klamber 

"  The  lawfully  elected  elders  in  1733,  were,  according  to  the 
sworn  statement  of  Reiff':  Peter  Licolie,  Johann  Wilhelm  Rohrig, 
Hendrik  Weller  and  Georg  Peter  Hillegas,  see  Reformed  Quarterly 
Review.  Vol.  XL  (1893),  p.  60. 


234  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

Johann  Michel  Dill  Johann  Michel  Feder 

Conrat  Sattler  Jacob   Miiller 

Johann  Caspar  Ullrich  Lorentz  Hartmann 

Jacob  Zetel  Rudolf  Messerschmidt 

Zacharias  Schuckert  Johann  Engelbert  Lock 

Elias  Strecker  Valentin  Beyer 

Johannes  Schmiet  Joh.  Niclas  Ewig 

Gerhard  CaflFeroth  X  Jacob  Walter 

Hans  Jorg  Strohhauer  Caspar  Heyderich 

Peter  Heut  XX  Hans  Adam  Ribertus.*' 

That   the   above   copy   corresponds   verbatim   with   the  original, 
which  is  in  my  hands,  I  hereby  testify  with  my  signature. 

Johann  Philips  Boehm. 


[XXL    MR.  BOEHM  AND  THE  PHILADELPHL\  CONSISTORY 
TO  DEPUTY  VELINGIUS,  OCTOBER  28,  IISV] 

Right  and  Very  Reverend,  Pious  and  Very  Learned  Sir: — 

Your  pious  letter  of  December  2,  1733,®°  to  the  Reverend 
Mr.  J.  Bartholomew  Rieger  and  other  members  of  the  Con- 

*°The  majority  of  these  forty-two  members  arrived  between 
1727-1733.  The  time  of  their  arrival,  according  to  Rupp's  Thirty 
Thousand  Names,  was  as  follows :  Rudolf  Wiellecken,  September  21, 
1727;  Reichert  Vetter  (Fetter),  August  19,  1729;  Bernhard  Sigmund, 
Johannes  Scherer,  August  29,  1730',  in  the  same  ship  with  Peter  Miiller, 
the  later  monk  at  Ephrata ;  Rudolf  Messerschmid,  September  5,  1730 ; 
Michael  Feder,  Johann  Engelbert  Lock  (Lack),  September  11,  1731; 
Wendel  Brechbill,  Joh.  Georg  Kremer,  August  11,  1732;  Valentine 
Beyer,  Johann  Georg  Baltz,  Nicolaus  Ewig,  Lorentz  Hartman,  Lorentz 
Kuntz,  Johann  Jacob  Neuzeholtzer  (Xeihaltzer),  Conrad  Sattler. 
Johannes  Schmit,  September  19,  1732.  These  eight  persons,  who  ar- 
rived with  others  on  the  ship  "Johnson,"  were  evidently  another  Re- 
formed colony;  Jacob  Walter,  September  26,  1732;  Joh.  Georg  Senck, 
October  11,  1732;  Hans  Georg  Strohhauer,  August  17,  1733;  Joh.  Ulrich 
Gaul,  August  27,  1733 ;  Joh.  Michael  Dill,  September  29,  1733.  Besides, 
Abraham  Kintzing  was  naturalized  in  1730;  Johann  Casper  Ulrich,  in 
1734. 

"A  Dutch  translation  of  this  letter  is  preserved  at  The  Hague, 
74,  I,  17. 

•°A  letter  of  Deputy  Velingius  to  Mr.  Rieger,  dated  December 
28,  1733  (no  doubt  identical  with  the  one  referred  to  here),  is  on  file 
in  the  archives  at  The  Hague,  74,  I,  12. 


LETTER  OF  1734  235 

sistory  of  the  German  Reformed  Congregation  at  Philadel- 
phia in  Pennsylvania,  only  reached  us  on  October  12,  1734.  We 
learned  from  it  that  the  letter,  written  in  this  place  on  March 
4)  1733)  ^"*^  signed  by  Mr.  John  Barthol.  Rieger  and  two  other 
members  of  the  Consistory,^^  was  laid  before  the  Christian 
Synods  of  North  and  South  Holland  in  the  months  of  July  and 
August,  1733,  together  with  another  letter  from  Canastocka, 
dated  February  13,  1733.®' 

In  the  first  place  we  must  give  you  most  obediently  an 
insight  into  the  condition  into  which  we  have  gotten  since 
that  time.  The  persons  who  represented  us  at  that  time  were 
mostly  self-made  elders,  irresponsible,  and  in  the  whole  affair, 
as  the  congregation  has  clearly  discovered,  sought  nothing 
else  than  together  with  Jacob  Reiff,  to  lay  their  hands  on  the 
[collected]  money,  which  is  sufficiently  evident  at  present.  For 
Jacob  Reiff  had  bought  merchandise  abroad  with  the  money 
collected  [in  Holland],  which  goods,  (for  what  reasons  we 
know  not)  were  seized  and  held  in  England,®^  and  to  this  day 
not  a  penny  has  been  handed  over  by  Jacob  Reiff,  which  greatly 
distressed  these  people.  Having  at  a  certain  time  a  suspicion 
that  Reiff  intended  to  leave  the  country,  they  went  and  had  him 
arrested  for  the  collected  money,  without  having  from  any- 
body obtained  proper  authority  for  it,  neither  knowing  pre- 
cisely the  amount  of  the  collected  funds,  nor  how  much  he 
had  received.  The  result  was  a  quarrel  and  turmoil,  by  which 
the  congregation  made  a  wonderful  discover}',  for  as  they 
gathered  one  by  one  and  perhaps  30  men  were  assembled,  then 
Reiff  said  plainly  before  us  all:  "Doctor  Diemer,  Peter  and 
Michael  Hillegass  are  church-robbers,  they  steal  the  bread  out 
of  the  mouths  of  the  Reformed  people  in  Philadelphia,  of  their 

"  This  letter  is  also  preserved  at  The  Hague,  74,  I,  15. 

"The  essential  parts  of  this  important  letter  of  John  Conrad 
Tempelman  are  printed  above,  pp.  62-64. 

"  In  his  answer  to  the  Court  of  Chancery,  Mr.  Reiff  explained 
that,  "the  master  of  the  ship  being  unw^illing  to  advance  any  money 
for  the  duty  or  customs  of  the  goods  so  shipped  for  the  use  of  the 
said  congregation  as  aforesaid,  he  left  them  in  the  custody  of  the 
Collector  of  his  Majesty's  Customs  at  Covves,  on  the  Isle  of  Wight 
(where  the  said  ship  went  to  clear)  as  this  defendant  is  informed  of 
Mr.  John  Hope,  a  merchant  there."  See  Reformed  Quarterly  Reviezv, 
Vol.  XL  (1893),  pp.  60-66. 


236  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

children  and  children's  children.  I  admit  that  I  am  a  church- 
thief  [kerkendief],'but  they  are  church-thieves  as  well  as  I.  If 
they  had  not  written  to  me,  I  would  not  have  done  it".  Then 
he  showed  a  letter  which  they  had  sent  to  him  to  Holland, 
which,  after  taking  the  authority  from  Do.  Weiss  (which  he 
had  received  from  the  whole  congregation)  and  transferring 
it  to  Jacob  Reiff,  read  as  follows :  "J^cob  ReifT  shall  take  the 
collected  money,  buy  merchandise  with  it  and  ship  it  to  them. 
For  his  profits  he  is  to  have  six  per  cent,  and  on  his  return  to 
this  country  the  money  which  he  spent  shall  be  refunded  to 
him".  This  letter,  which  certainly  ten  of  us  read,  was  signed 
by  seven  men  (who  had  usurped  the  eldership)  with  their  own 
hands.  They  wrote  further  in  their  letter  to  ReifY,  that  he 
should  do  so  at  their  risk  and  whatever  might  come  of  it  they 
would  guarantee  him  against  loss  with  all  their  possessions,  of 
which,  beside  them  not  a  member  of  the  whole  congregation 
knew  anything.  From  this  no  other  conclusion  can  be  drawn 
but  that  they  did  it  merely  for  their  own  profit.  Reifif  then 
claimed  that,  according  to  their  instructions,  he  had  sent  the 
goods  over  to  them,  the  receipt  of  which  they  roundly  deny. 
Through  this  quarrel  no  other  prospect  appeared  to  be  in  sight 
than  the  entire  dissolution  of  the  congregation,  as  already 
everything  was  on  the  point  of  disbanding. 

Whereupon  the  congregation  met  again  and  came  to  the 
inevitable  resolution  to  depose  these  men  for  these  and  other, 
sufficiently  grave  causes  and  to  elect  others,  by  a  majority  of 
votes,  who  would  faithfully  serve  the  congregation  and  re- 
main united.  This  action  was  all  the  more  legitimate,  inasmuch 
as  John  Jacob  Diemer,  the  physician,^*  never  was  an  elder  and 

"John  Jacob  Diemer,  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  "Practitioner 
in  Physick  and  Surgery,"  bought  on  March  16,  1733,  a  plantation  con- 
taining 161  acres  in  Providence,  from  Richard  Jones,  of  Providence, 
and  Martha,  his  wife,  for  £153.  of  lawful  money.  The  same  parties 
bought,  on  the  same  date,  a  certain  piece  of  land  in  Providence,  con- 
taining 67  acres  for  £64.  He  was  naturalized  in  1734,  see  Pa.  Archives, 
2nd  Series,  Vol.  VII,  p.  116.  O'n  January,  1747,  John  Diemer  was 
captain  of  one  of  the  four  companies  raised  in  the  province  of  Penn- 
sylvania; see  Pennsylvania  Archives,  First  Series,  Vol.  I,  pp.  724,  738. 
The  Pennsylvania  companies  and  their  captains  are  enumerated  in  a 
letter  of  Samuel  Perry,  dated  October  26,  1747.  See  Colonial  Records. 
Vol.  V.  p.  134f.    Dr.  Diemer  died  in  the  beginning  of  November.  1757. 


LETTER  OF  1734  237 

never  could  have  been  recognized  as  such  on  account  of  his 
openly  shameful,  scandalous  and  dishonorable  manner  of  life, 
and  even  to  day  is  immersed  in  a  notoriously  godless  life.  He 
was  also  the  leader  of  the  others  by  means  of  his  artful  and 
deceitful  pen.  Peter  Hillegass  too  was  never  recognized  as  an 
elder  by  the  people,  but  elevated  himself  to  that  office  and 
acted  with  them,  so  that  they  belonged  to  the  same  class  as 
Jacob  Reiff,  who  also  allowed  himself  to  be  greeted  as  elder  in 
Holland  and  yet  had  never  been  recognized  as  such  by  these 
congregations.  They  then  elected  us  as  elders  and  deacons  of 
the  church,  in  the  presence  of  Mr.  John  Barth.  Rieger,  who  at 
that  time  served  this  congregation  as  minister,  as  the  enclosed 
letter  of  April  2,  1734,®^  shows. 

When  Mr.  Rieger  had  left  this  congregation,  thinking 
perhaps  that  because  of  his  absence  we  would  not  know  what 
to  do  and  we  would  have  to  unite  again  with  the  deposed  per- 
sons, with  whom  he  was  in  harmony,  which  the  congregation, 
however,  regarded  as  extremely  harmful  because  of  the  evident 
deception  which  they  had  practiced, — then  another  plan  was 
thought  of,  and  they  resolved  unanimously  (in  order  to  pre- 
vent the  entire  ruin  of  the  congregation)  humbly  to  ask  aid 
and  assistance  of  Mt.  John  Philip  Boehm,  minister  at  Falkner 
Schwam,  Schip  Bach  and  Weitmarge,  who  is  a  lawfully 
ordained  minister,  (regarding  which  one  may  refer  to  the  Acts 
of  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam  concerning  Pennsylvania).  This 
was  done  immediately  by  means  of  a  letter,  dated  April  20, 
1734,^*'  signed  by  forty-two  persons  and  conveyed  to  him  by 
two  of  our  members. 

Although  by  reason  of  the  great  and  difficult  labors  of  his 
ministry,  his  Reverence  had  sufficient  reasons  to  excuse  himself, 
nevertheless  he  took  it  to  heart  and  resolved,  after  having  con- 
On  November  17,  1757,  his  wife,  Rachel  Diemer,  requested  that  her 
son,  James,  might  be  admitted  to  administer  the  estate  of  her  husband. 
Letters  of  administration  were  granted  to  James  Diemer,  September 
17,  1757  (see  Book  of  Administration,  Vol.  G,  p.  104).  The  estate  of 
Dr.  Diemer  was  divided  April  15,  1760,  between  his  widow  and  four 
children.  (Taken  in  part  from  the  Dotterer  Mss.,  in  the  Historical 
Society  of  Pennsylvania.) 

**  Given  as  a  postscript  to  this  letter,  see  p.  249. 
"^  Printed  above,  pp.  231-234. 


238  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

sidered  it  for  a  while  and  having  taken  counsel  concerning  it, 
to  visit  us.  Whereupon,  after  several  preceding  written  and 
oral  requests,  he  came  to  us  on  July  15,  1734,  and  upon  our 
written  request  he  preached  a  sermon  of  admonition  to  our 
congregation  on  the  21st,  whereupon  the  whole  congregation, 
(excepting  some  who  sympathized  with  the  above-mentioned 
opposition-party)  resolved  and  agreed,  "inasmuch  as  this  con- 
gregation has  already  suffered  so  much  adversity,  because  it 
has  existed  hitherto  without  any  fixed  church-order,  and  every 
one  did  as  he  pleased,  that  therefore  we  submit  to  the  Church 
Order,  approved  by  the  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam  and  es- 
tablished in  Do.  Boehm's  three  congregations,  since  after  care- 
ful investigation  we  found  it  to  be  drawn  up  in  accordance  with 
God's  Holy  Word,  that  we  hold  fast  to  the  Heidelberg  Cate- 
chism and  accept  all  the  formulas  of  unity  of  the  Christian 
Synod  of  Dort  and  introduce  no  other  doctrine  than  our  true 
Reformed  teaching,  which  conforms  to  the  Word  of  God  and 
comprises  the  fundamentals  of  all  good  church  discipline". 

Immediately  thereafter  Do.  Boehm,  by  an  unlimited  au- 
thority, signed  by  36  members  of  the  congregation,  recognized 
us  six  chosen  elders  and  deacons,  and  authorized  us  to  act 
together,  with  earnestness  and  to  the  utmost  of  our  ability, 
according  to  our  conscience,  as  we  could  answer  for  it  before 
God,  to  the  glory  of  God  and  to  the  advancement  and  promotion 
of  the  common  interest.  Hence,  four  weeks  later,  on  August 
i8th,  we  were  installed  in  our  offices  by  Do.  Boehm,  by  virtue 
of  the  Church  Order  and  in  accordance  with  the  resolution  of 
the  congregation,  and  we  entered  with  the  three  congregations 
of  Falkner  Schwam,  Schip  Bach  and  Weitmarge  into  a  coven- 
ant and  brotherly  union,  and  signed  the  same  in  the  name  of 
our  congregation  with  our  own  hands.  Thereupon  we  cele- 
brated the  Lord's  Supper  on  December  15,  1734,°*^"  with  heart- 
felt joy.  We  now  live  in  hope  toward  God  that  in  a  short 
time  all  the  congregations  in  Pennsylvania  will  unite  with  us  in 
a  brotherly  union  under  one  and  the  same  Church  Order, 
whereby  we  can  look  forward  to  the  largest  growth  of  our  true 
Church   in   this   country.     For   this   has   caused   hitherto   the 

•*'  The  date  is  December  15,  1734,  not  September  15,  as  has  been 
stated.    The  original  reads:     "op  den  15  x  br." 


LETTER  OF  1734  239 

greatest  injury  that  young  ministers  were  unwilling  to  recog- 
nize any  obligation  to  act  according  to  certain  standards  in 
their  ministry,  but  entered  even  Do.  Boehm's  congregation  and 
caused  division  among  the  members,  so  that  several  times 
much  scandal  resulted  and  Do.  Boehm  had  to  suffer  very  much, 
yea  even  the  sects  made  the  Reformed  people  the  object  of 
their  ridicule.  This  was  indeed  the  chief  reason  why  our  con- 
gregation was  threatened  with  total  dissolution,  as  every  one 
imagined  that  his  own  free  will  was  the  best.  But  this  is  now 
made  impossible  through  the  good  church  ordinances,  to  which 
all  the  members  must  be  obedient.  Thus  we  hope  that  through 
this  union  in  our  true  worship  the  pious  object  of  the  Chris- 
tian Synods  will  be  attained. 

To  reply  further  to  your  Reverences,  according  to  our 
ability  and  duty,  we  notice  that  the  Christian  Synod  looks  with 
sorrow  upon  our  pitiful  condition,  and  we  are  grateful  to  God 
Most  High,  that  He  by  His  grace  causes  the  hearts  of  those 
to  be  compassionate,  who  have  been  a  tender  nurse  to  our  true 
Church,  which  is  still  standing  upon  a  weak  foundation  and 
unable  to  help  herself.  The  decline  of  true  religion  is  indeed 
deplorable  in  this  country,  and  whence  does  it  come  but  from 
a  lack  of  faithful  and  orthodox  ministers?  The  three 
ministers  who  arrived  here  at  different  times  have  introduced 
dissension  and  division  even  in  the  three  regularly  established 
conregations  of  Do.  Boehm,  and  in  addition,  by  their  free- 
thinking,  have  plunged  the  simple  people  into  doubt  with  re- 
gard to  the  true  Reformed  religion,  so  that  through  these  and 
other  quarrels  the  number  of  those  who  since  that  time  have 
gone  over  to  the  "Tumplers"  [Dunkers],  Seventh-day  people, 
Mennonites  and  others  is  so  large  that  it  cannot  be  stated 
without  tears  in  one's  eyes,  and  who  knows  how  many  there 
are  yet  in  this  widely-extended  country,  who  are  unknown  to 
us.  The  good  God  have  mercy  upon  His  own  and  preserve 
them  from  such  like  men. 

The  faithless  conduct  of  Jacob  Reiff  is  indeed  abominable, 
but  from  what  is  stated  above  the  Christian  Synods  can  infer 
what  was  the  chief  cause  of  it.  And  we  believe  it  is  just  as 
well  as  it  is,  than  if  their  scheme,  which  they  had  made  with 
Jacob  Reiff  had  succeeded.  For  if  they  had  received  their 
share,  they  would  surely  have  quarrelled  among  themselves. 


240  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

Moreover,  we  deem  it  very  fortunate  for  our  churches  if  the 
Christian  Synod  still  has  in  hand  the  itemized  account  of  the 
money  collected,  mentioned  in  your  godly  letter  of  the  above 
date,  which  these  people  have  asked  for. 

We  can  report  little  favorable  news  of  Do.  Weiss,  for  as 
far  as  we  know  up  to  the  present  time  he  is  unwilling  to  declare 
himself  against  Reiff,  either  in  writing  or  by  word  of  mouth. 

That  the  above-mentioned  letters  from  here  to  the  Chris- 
tian Synods  have  not  given  sufficient  information,  so  that  the 
money  gathered  by  the  Christian  Synod  could  be  sent  over,  can 
easily  be  traced  to  its  cause,  for  in  muddy  water  the  bottom 
cannot  be  seen  as  easily  as  in  clear  water,  hence  the  former  is 
preferred  by  deceitful  people. 

We  notice  further  that  in  the  same  letter  a  full  yearly 
salary  is  demanded  for  ministers  and  schoolteachers,  and  as 
we  have  seen  from  the  letter  of  Dr.  Wilhelmi.  minister  at  Rot- 
terdam, written  on  June  20,  1734,^^  to  the  Consistory  here,  6 
preachers  and  12  schoolmasters  are  to  be  appointed,  which  ac- 
cording to  the  letter  of  his  Reverence  would  amount  yearly  to 
660  pounds  of  sterling.  We  are  terrified  by  the  temerity  of  such 
a  bold  request.  In  order  to  bring  its  unreasonableness  more 
clearly  to  light,  our  minister,  who  has  the  best  knowledge  of 
these  affairs,  has  drawn  up  a  dutiful  specification  of  the  places 
^  [of  worship]  and  of  the  communicants,  which  we  have  ex- 
amined together,  and  which  we  recognize,  in  view  of  the  duty 
imposed  upon  us,  as  a  dutiful  and  truthful  account,^®  and  we 
believe  that  four  ministers  would  be  able  to  perform  the  work 
properly  to  the  further  growth  of  our  churches  in  this  country, 
(whereof  we  shall  transmit  a  submissive  yearly  report)  if  they 
would  take  to  heart  the  obligation  laid  upon  them. 

As  regards  the  request  for  12  schoolmasters,  we  know  not 
what  to  do  with  it.  It  is  indeed  true  that  it  is  very  useful  to 
have  at  every  separate  [preaching]  place  a  man  who  can  serve 
the  people  on  the  Lord's  Day,  whenever  the  minister  is  absent. 
But  we  are  of  the  opinion  that  there  is  no  place,  but  the  good 

•'For  a  brief  sketch  of  the  life  of  Dr.  John  Wilhelmi  (or  Wil- 
helmius),  see  above,  p.  30,  note  49.  The  letter  mentioned  here  by 
Boehm  has  not  been  preserved. 

"This  has  reference  to  the  report  of  Boehm,  printed  below, 
pp.  250-257. 


LETTER  OF  1734  241 

Lord  has  there  such  a  man  who  is  capable  of  doing  that,  and 
who  does  not  have  to  make  a  Hving  by  that  alone,  but  is  will- 
ing to  take  up  the  work  for  a  voluntary  gift,  and  if  there  is  a 
school  to  be  carried  on,  he  can  take  from  each  who  sends  his 
children  to  him  a  proper  fee.  As  to  the  appointment  of  general 
schoolmasters  in  this  widely  extended  country,  [vVe  wish  to 
say  that]  we  do  not  know  of  a  single  locality  where  within  a 
radius  of  3  English  miles  20  children  of  our  faith  could  be 
gathered  together,  excepting  at  Philadelphia  and  Germantown, 
where  this  is  a  great  need,  as  there  the  people  live  close  to- 
gether ;  as  for  the  rest  [of  the  country]  no  other  measure  can 
be  thought  of  than  that  here  and  there  the  nearest  neighbors 
together  engage  and  pay  a  man,  as  many  are  already  doing,  in 
order  to  have  their  children  instructed. 

Thus  we  are, — because  the  Christian  Synod  is  willing  to 
quicken  and  help  us  poor  and  feeble  fellow-members  of  Christ, 
their  fellow-believers,  with  a  Christian  donation, — heartily  con- 
tent with  whatever  wise  resolution  the  Christian  Synod  will 
deem  practical  and  necessary  in  view  of  the  accompanying, 
dutiful  specification.  And  our  souls  rejoice  that  the  Christian 
Synod,  with  a  Christian  and  charitable  heart  is  graciously 
pleased  to  provide  not  merely  for  individual  poor  persons  or 
particular  localities  and  consistories,  but  in  general  for  the  true 
Reformed  worship  in  Pennsylvania  and  for  the  welfare  of  all 
of  us.  For  we  are  not  desirous  that  our  fellow-members  of  the 
body  of  Christ  should  be  set  back  on  our  account,  since  we 
just  as  gladly  behold  their  increase  and  growth  in  the  true  ser- 
vice of  the  Master,  as  our  own,  in  the  assured  confidence  that 
the  good  Lord,  according  to  His  riches,  will  grant  us  aid  as 
each  one  of  us  has  need. 

The  congregation  at  Germantown  has  indeed  undertaken 
to  build  a  church,  and  is  pretty  well  advanced  with  it,^^  but  they 

^  This  statement  shows  that  the  Reformed  church  building  at 
Germantown  was  in  process  of  construction  in  the  year  1734.  This  is 
corroborated  by  a  letter,  written  and  signed  by  two  elders  and  sixteen 
members  at  Germantown,  on  July  14,  1744,  in  which  they  state :  "About 
ten  years  ago,  four  members  of  our  congregation  did  their  utmost, 
according  to  the  best  of  their  ability,  to  build  a  church  for  the  con- 
gregation, hoping  that  thus  the  congregation  could  hold  regular  reli- 
gious services,  and  that  what  these  men  had  expended  of  their  small 


242  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

have  contracted  a  debt  for  it,  so  that  they  are  not  much  farther 
advanced  than  if  they  had  just  begun,  for  the  money  taken 
up  by  collections  cannot  amount  to  much  in  this  poor  country, 
according  to  our  opinion.  However,  the  church  stands  on  a 
plot  definitely  purchased  and  is  very  conveniently  located,  al- 
most in  the  center  of  the  place.^"" 

Further,  it  is  not  surprising  that  Peter  Miller  has  not  taken 
part  in  any  of  the  matters,  communicated  to  the  Christian 
Synod  by  [the  congregation  in]  Canastoka  on  February  13, 
1733,  inasmuch  as  he,  from  the  beginning  when  he  came  to 
this  country,  was  busy  with  what  is  stated  in  the  specifi- 
cation.^"^ 

With  reference  to  the  members  of  the  Reformed  [Church] 
reported  to  you,  as  being  15,000  to  16,000,^°^  we  look  upon  that 
report  with  horror  and  are  exceedingly  surprised  at  such  im- 
pudence, which  could  report,  without  a  feeling  of  shame,  such 
a  scandalous  falsehood  to  the  Christian  Synod.  It  is  indeed 
true  that  there  are  very  many  Germans  in  this  country,  but  if 
they  could  all  be  counted,  which  however,  -is  impossible  to  do 
so  easily,  the  total  would  not  by  far  reach  that  number.  But 
most  of  them  are  Mennonites.    There  are  also  more  Lutheran 

means  for  the  building,  would  be  paid  back  by  the  congregation,  if 
they  only  had  a  minister,  which,  however,  after  the  completion  of  the 
church,  was  not  done,  because  they  lacked  a  minister,  although  some 
years  ago  the  Rev.  Mr.  Rieger  served  them  for  a  short  time."  The 
four  members  were  John  Bechtel,  Christopher  Meng,  Jacob  Bauman 
and  George  Bensel,  see  note  107,  p.  250. 

'""  It  is  now  the  Market  Square  Presbyterian  Church,  at  Ger- 
mantown. 

"•  See  below,  p.  254. 

'"^That  is  not  what  Rieger  wrote  on  March  4,  1733.  His 
actual  words  were:  "As  regards  the  number  of  the  members  of  the 
Reformed  Church  in  Pennsylvania,  we  answer  that  we  think  that  there 
must  be  altogether  15,000  to  16,000  Germans,  but  these  people  live 
scattered  over  more  than  300  or  400  miles  [of  territory]  and  have  no 
churches.  We  had  thus  far  but  two  regularly  called  ministers,  who 
cannot  possibly  be  everywhere,  hence  it  is  impossible  to  ascertain  the 
actual  number  of  members."  In  an  earlier  letter,  written  by  Rieger, 
November  22,  1731,  he  estimates  the  members  of  the  Reformed  church 
as  "hardly  three  thousand."  There  is  a  great  confusion  in  the  different 
estimates  between  the  number  of  Germans,  that  of  baptized  Reformed 
members  and  that  of  communicant  members. 


LETTER  OF  1734  243 

than  Reformed  people.  All  "Tumplers"  [Dunkers]  are  Ger- 
mans, with  whom  the  whole  land  is  filled,  also  the  Seventh-day 
people  [Seevendaagers]  and  more  sects  besides.  There  is  also 
a  large  number  who  live  here  and  there  and  keep  themselves 
altogether  aloof  from  everybody,  since  they  can  see  no  means 
by  which  our  church  can  be  established  in  this  country,  among 
whom  the  Lord  will  preserve  His  own  until  His  time  comes. 
Hence  we  expect,  if  through  God's  grace  we  shall  have  obtained 
Christian  support,  many  of  these  will  come  forward.  But  where 
is  now  the  large  number  [of  Reformed]  ?  To  us  and  Do.  Boehm 
no  more  are  known  than  are  indicated  in  the  accompanying 
specification."'     Nevertheless,  we  shall  not  deny,  but  humbly 

"'  The  first  estimate  of  the  number  of  Reformed  people  in  Penn- 
sylvania occurs  in  the  minutes  of  the  Synod  of  South  Holland,  held 
at  Breda,  July  4-14,  1730.  Rev.  John  Wilhelmius,  of  Rotterdam,  then 
president  of  Synod,  submitted  a  report  in  which  he  stated  that  "there 
are  already  15,000  old  Reformed  confessors  of  the  Palatipate  [in 
Pennsylvania].  They  are  increasing  every  year,  as  for  instance  only 
a  few  weeks  ago  600  left  Rotterdam  on  three  ships  for  that  land." 
In  the  following  year,  at  the  Synod  of  South  Holland,  held  at  Dort, 
July  3-13,  1731,  the  Deputies  of  Synod  reported  that  "they  had  con- 
ferred with  the  Rev.  George  Michael  Weitzius  [Weiss],  minister  of 
Philadelphia,  and  his  elder,  come  over  to  Holland,  regarding  the 
churches  of  Pennsylvania,  and  that  they  had  learned  from  them  as 
well  as  from  letters  and  reports  sent  over  to  them,  that  the  Reformed 
Church  of  Pennsylvania  consists  of  30,000  baptized  persons,  among 
whom  are  15,000  members  that  should  be  served."  A  similar  state- 
ment is  found  in  the  first  printed  report  of  the  Reformed  Church  of 
Pennsylvania,  printed  by  the  Synodical  Deputies  and  submitted  to 
the  Synod  of  Dort  in  1731.  There  it  is  stated :  "There  are  Men- 
nonites,  Lutherans  and  Reformed,  the  last  of  whom  being  about  the 
half  of  all,  so  that  there  may  well  be  15,000  Reformed  members,  hold- 
ing to  the  old  Reformed  Confession."  These  estimates,  which  go  back 
to  the  letters  and  reports  of  Weiss  are  certainly  much  too  high.  They 
are  in  striking  contrast  to  other,  much  lower,  estimates.  In  the  ac- 
companying report  (p.  250),  Boehm  gives  the  actual  number  of  com- 
municants for  the  year  1734  in  eight  congregations  as  386.  The  aver- 
age membership  was  48  or  50  in  round  numbers.  Besides,  Boehm  men- 
tions five  other  congregations,  whose  members  are  not  estimated, 
namely  Oley,  Saucon,  Macungie,  Maxatawny  and  Great  Swamp.  No 
reference  is  made  by  Boehm  to  Old  Goshenhoppen,  Lancaster,  Co- 
calico,  Muddy  Creek,  Zeltenreich,  White  Oak  and  Egypt,  all  of  which 
were  in  existence  in  1734,  as  we  know  from  other  sources.  Here  are 
20  congregations,  which,  if  we  estimate  each  at  fifty  members,  would 


244  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

call  to  mind  that  the  communion  services  are  indeed  more 
numerously  attended  at  one  time  than  another,  on  account  of 
bad  weather  and  distant  places,  yet  we  believe  that  the  number 
will  prove  to  be  not  much  more  nor  less  than  it  is  at  the  present 
time. 

The  Christian  Synod  desires  to  know  the  localities  where 
churches  could  be  built.  The  same  is  indicated  as  far  as 
practicable  in  the  specification.  It  also  wishes  to  know  who 
shall  make  their  plans  and  how  high  the  cost  of  the  churches 
will  be.  Whereat  we  answer  humbly  to  the  Christian  Synod : 
We  are  in  duty  bound  to  care  as  much  as  possible  for  our  con- 
gregation, for  her  growth  to  the  honor  of  God,  for'  the  salva- 
tion of  our  souls  and  those  of  our  descendants, — and  we  request 
a  Christian  donation  only  for  the  Church  of  Christ  arid  not  for 
ourselves  to  gain  temporal  profit,  how  then  can  we  say  what 
we  wish  to  have,  we  would  rather  leave  it  to  the  Christian 
Synod's  pious  philanthropy  and  will  be  heartily  satified  with 
what  they,  out  of  love,  will  bestow  upon  us  and  deem  neces- 
sary, for  the  advancement  of  the  Kingdom  of  Jesus,  and  we 
shall  adapt  ourselves  to  the  charitable  gifts  which  may  be 
granted  unto  us  and  to  what  shall  be  set  apart  for  each  locality. 
We  do  not  want  to  waste  or  throw  away  anything,  but  shall 
endeavor  to  preserve  a  good  conscience  before  Almighty  God 
in  this  matter,  and,  in  order  to  prevent  any  evil  suspicion,  we 
desire  to  submit  humbly  to  the  Christian  Synod  our  voluntary 
proposition,  namely : 

There  dwells   here    in    Philadelphia  the    honorable   Mr. 
Thomas  Lawrence.^^*  a  Hollander  by  birth,  a  wholesale  mer- 

give  us  an  approximate  membership  of  1,000.  But  it  must  not  be 
overlooked  that  the  actual  communicants  in  a  given  year  are  but  a 
part  of  the  total  communicant  membership.  If  we  suppose  that  7-5  per 
cent,  of  the  membership  actually  communed,  we  would  get  a  total 
of  about  1,300  communicant  members  for  the  year  17.34.  The  baptized 
members  would  be  approximately  three  times  as  numerous,  or  about 
4,000.  The  total  number  of  adherents  and  others,  Reformed  by  de- 
scent and  training,  might  easily  be  again  as  numerous,  or  8,000  in 
all.  At  another  place  (see  p.  83),  we  figured  out  the  total  number  of 
Reformed  people  as  10,000  for  the  year  1740,  while  Schlatter,  for  1750, 
gives  about  30,000.  In  other  words,  the  Reformed  membership  seems 
to  have  doubled  itself  in  each  decade. 

"'Thomas  Lawrence  was  born  September  4.  10S9,  at  New  York. 


LETTER  OF  1734  245 

chant,  a  judge  and  at  present  Mayor  of  Philadelphia  and  a  lover 
of  the  true  religion.  Of  him  our  minister,  at  our  request,  asked 
counsel  and  begged  him  to  take  upon  himself  the  trouble  for  our 
church  in  this  affair,  if  it  should  be  necessary.  He  in  turn 
met  him  at  once  willingly  and  amicably,  that  he  granted  his 
request  immediately,  that,  whenever  the  Christian  Synod  or 
Classis  of  Holland  should  entrust  funds  for  the  German  Re- 
formed congregations  in  Pennsylvania  into  the  hands  of  Theo- 
dore Hodshon,  merchant  in  Amsterdam,  then  he  as  his  cor- 
respondent would  pay  that  money,  sent  as  draft  to  Pennsyl- 
vania. Besides  he  assured  him  of  all  aid  and  counsel  where- 
with he  might  be  able  to  serve  our  congregations.  Moreover  a 
Christian  Synod  and  Reverend  Classis  may  well  rely  upon  the 
good  name  of  this  man.  And,  in  order  to  show  clearly  and 
submissively  that  we  wish  to  exercise  every  possible  care  in 
this  matter,  we  voluntarily  request  that  Mr.  Lawrence  be  asked 
to  let  nothing  come  into  our  hands  until  it  has  been  plainly 
shown  to  him  that  it  will  be  used  faithfully  for  the  purpose  for 
which  it  is  given,  which  his  Honor  will  not  refuse,  if  it  be 
asked  of  him. 

May  the  Christian  Synod  entertain  no  doubt  whatever  that 
we  shall  hold  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Heidelberg  Catechism  and 
to  the  Confession  of  the  Palatinate  Church  as  agreeing  with 
the  rule  of  God's  Word.  But  as  regards  the  Church  Order,  the 
same  will  be  found  to  be  in  nowise  in  conflict  with  that  of 
Heidelberg,  but  for  the  rest  it  has  been  made  to  harmonize,  as 
,  far  as  necessary,  with  the  situation  of  our  land  and  of  our 
churches.  It  has  also  been  sent  over  to  the  Reverend  Classis 
of  Amsterdam  by  the  Reverend  Correspondents,  the  ministers 
of  New  York  and  Long  Island,  and  is  to  be  found  with  the 
consistories  in  Pennsylvania. 

As  regards  the  information  which  the  Christian  Synod  de- 
He  settled  in  1720,  in  Philadelphia,  where  he  entered  into  the  mer- 
cantile business.  In  1730  he  was  partner  of  Edward  Shippen.  He 
resided  in  Water  St.  He  was  Mayor  of  Philadelphia  in  1727,  1728, 
1734,  1749,  1753,  and  held  that  office  at  the  time  of  his  death  in  1754. 
He  became  member  of  the  Provincial  Council,  May  10,  1728.  He  was 
for  some  time  Presiding  Judge  of  the  County  Court.  He  died  April 
20,  1754,  and  was  buried  in  Christ  Church  yard.  See  C.  I.  Keith, 
Provincial  Councillors  of  Pennsylvania,  Philadelphia,  1883,  pp.  430-433. 


246  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

sires  concerning  Mr.  Boehm,  from  whom  the  Christian  Synod 
received  no  reply  to  their  letter  sent  to  him  on  December  i, 
J731.  [it  should  be  stated  that]  he  did  not  receive  the  same 
until  July  17,  1732,  and  it  grieved  him  that  the  due  reply  had 
not  come  before  the  Christian  Synod  up  to  December  2,  1733. 
But  he  expects  that  it  has  now  arrived,  and  if  not,  the  Christ- 
tian  Synod  will  find  included  in  this  letter  all  that  it  then 
desired. 

Finally  what  concerns  Arnold  Hassert,^^^  we  have  noticed 
in  the  gracious  letter  of  the  Christian  Synod,  written  on  De- 
cember I,  173 1,  to  the  Consistory  at  Philadelphia,  that  this 
Hassert  was  recommended  and  praised  to  the  Christian  Synod 
as  a  member  of  our  Reformed  Church  and  that  everything 
might  be  properly  handed  over  to  him  to  be  done ; — this  is 
again  a  brazen  and  impudent  act  to  report  such  notorious  lies 
to  the  Christian  Synod,  for  this  Arnold  Hassert  came  to  this 
country  many  years  ago  and  become  known  as  a  Mennonite. 
Then  he  was  many  years  here,  no  one  knows  what ;  at  present 
he  is  among  the  Quakers.  He  is  a  man  in  whom  we  have  not 
the  least  confidence.  We  cannot  think  otherwise  than  that,  in 
order  to  carry  out  the  scheme  of  Reiff,  assistants  were  sought 
who  were  regarded  as  best  qualified  for  it.    But  thanks  be  unto 

^"^  Arent  Hassert  was  a  prominent  merchant  of  Philadelphia.  On 
February  2.5,  1726,  the  Council  of  the  Province  considered  a  bill  "for 
better  enabling  Arent  Hassert,  Ulrick  Hageman  and  others  therein 
named  to  trade  and  hold  lands,  etc."  It  was  read,  considered,  and 
with  some  amendments  returned  to  the  House,  cf.  Colonial  Records, 
Vol.  HI,  p.  248.  From  August  5-26,  1731,  Arent  Hassert,  advertised 
in  the  American  Weekly  Mercury,  "large  Holland  pressing  papers, 
several  sorts  of  Boulting  Goth  and  Madder,  lately  imported  from 
Holland  and  divers  sorts  of  English  goods,  to  be  sold  very  reason- 
ably." An  advertisement  of  Dr.  Hendrick  van  Bebber,  which  appeared 
in  the  Pennsylvania  Gazette,  under  date  May  4,  1732,  states  that  Arent 
Hassert  was  then  living  in  Laetitia  Court.  Philadelphia.  He  was  nat- 
uralized September  25-27.  1740.  Arent  Hassert  signed  his  will  January 
15,  1756,  with  a  codicil  added  September  14,  1756.  (Register  of  Wills 
office,  Philadelphia,  Book  K,  p.  511.)  It  was  probated  March  14.  1757, 
hence  he  died  in  the  early  part  of  March.  See  Diary  of  David 
Schultze  in  Perkiomen  Region,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  91.  He  had  a  daughter 
Elizabeth  and  a  son,  Arent  Hassert,  Jr.  The  latter's  will  was  signed 
November  19,  1765,  mentioning  as  his  heirs  his  wife,  Catherine,  and  his 
son,  Jacob.     It  was  probated  January  14,  1766,  at  Philadelphia. 


LETTER  OF  1734  247 

God  that  it  failed  and  may  He  graciously  guard  against  it  in 
future. 

In  order  to  commend  it  to  the  deliberation  of  the  Christian 
Synod  we  shall  not  withhold  the  fact  that  there  are  great  dif- 
ferences in  this  country  in  the  erection  of  churches  and  par- 
sonages and  what  belongs  thereto.  For  here  in  the  city  of 
Philadelphia  there  are  indeed  plots  still  for  sale,  but  they  are 
very  expensive,  for  some  time  ago  we  were  about  to  buy  a 
plot,  half  an  acre  in  size,  which  was  to  cost  187  pounds  of  our 
money,  but  we  turned  back  again,  as  we  were  unable  to  raise 
so  much,  although  it  is  still  for  sale  to  day;  also  lumber  and 
stones  must  all  be  bought  and  mechanics  are  very  high  in  their 
charges  here.  Hence  these  things  [the  building  of  churches] 
can  be  more  easily  accomplished  at  such  places  where  lumber 
and  stones  can  be  had  without  expense.  All  this  is  now  very 
expensive  in  Germantown  also.  Nor  can  a  minister  live  as 
cheaply  in  the  city  as  in  the  country,  where  he  can  keep  cattle 
and  the  like  for  his  support.  Wherefore  we  humbly  ask  that 
the  Christian  Synod  be  pleased  to  take  all  this  into  its  full 
deliberation,  according  to  its  wisdom,  in  order  to  make  the 
distribution  [of  their  gifts]  proportionate,  whereby  all  dis- 
content will  be  removed  and  its  instructions  will  be  obediently 
followed. 

As  regards  the  ministers,  the  principal  need  which  must 
be  cared  for  is  to  provide  them  a  living.  Nevertheless  we 
should  be  ashamed  to  be  always  troubling  the  Christian  Synod 
and  our  fellow-believers  for  this,  for  although  for  the  present 
we  are  poor,  small  in  number  and  unable  to  do  anything,  yet 
w^e  hope  that  the  good  Lord,  since  it  would  contribute  to  the 
glory  of  His  holy  name,  will  graciously  cause  us  to  increase,  in 
order  to  be  enabled  to  do  more  in  future  days.  M'eanwhile  we 
are  willing,  (to  which  also  our  brethren  will  consent)  to  dis- 
tribute as  well  as  we  can,  in  view  of  the  poverty  of  many,  and 
then  to  send  humbly  and  submissively  a  detailed  yearly  ac- 
count of  whatever  the  Christian  Synod  may  be  pleased  to  be- 
stow upon  the  communicants  according  to  their  godly  con- 
sideration of  our  small  number  and  our  still  existing  poverty. 

Further,  Reverend  Sir,  we  cannot  refrain  from  making 
known  to  the  Christian  Synod,  that  Jacob  Reiff  and  his  ad- 
herents make  a  great  distinction  between  the  Christian  Synod 


248  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

and  the  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  [claiming]  that  they 
are  in  antagonism  to  each  other  and  that  the  Christian  Synod 
would  assist  no  one  who  would  have  anything  to  do  with  the 
Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  whereby  they  have  sought 
to  create  all  manner  of  division  in  the  congregation  and  have 
kept  also  many  people  and  even  our  own  congregation  for  a 
long  time  from  good  order.  Now,  however,  we  understand 
this  better,  since  we  have  seen  that  it  was  only  meant  to  keep 
the  waters  stirred  up  with  the  object  of  being  better  able  to 
deceive. 

We  now  come  to  the  certain  conclusion  that  through  the 
brotherly  union  and  adoption  of  one,  well  established,  Church 
Order  in  our  whole  country,  whereby  a  proper  order  among 
ministers,  a  brotherly  love,  obedience  and  unity,  under  good 
church  discipline,  among  the  members  is  created,  the  godly  in- 
tention of  the  Christian  Synod  (whose  purpose  aims  at  nothing 
less  than  to  enlarge  the  Kingdom  of  Christ  in  which  rule  unity 
and  love)  will  be  satisfactorily  realized,  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
thus  we  shall  be  worthier  of  it,  than  if,  as  such  wicked  people 
would  gladly  see,  we  were  living  in  the  fires  of  continual  dis- 
sension. 

And  what  could  be  thought  of  as  better  for  our  true 
Church  in  Pennsylvania,  than  that  we  have  the  reverend  cor- 
responding ministers  of  New  York  as  such  faithful  friends, 
as  they  have  indeed  shown  themselves  to  be  hitherto,  for  how 
could  we  be  able  to  meet  trouble,  if  in  every  case  we  should 
have  to  wait  for  months  and  years  for  counsel,  for  we  dwell 
here  in  a  land  rich  in  sects,  in  which  all  kinds  of  happenings 
take  place.  But  now,  on  the  contrary,  if  necessity  demands, 
we  can  obtain  question  and  answer  every  week,  so  that  we 
firmly  believe,  if  such  were  not  the  case,  a  Christian  Synod 
would  rather  help  us  to  secure  it  than  be  displeased  with  it, 
since  it  serves  to  promote  the  honor  of  God. 

Thus,  Reverend  Sir,  being  in  this  work  in  the  proper 
spirit,  we  humbly  ask  a  Christian  Synod  that  whatever  be  sent 
hither,  letters  and  particularly  the  itemized  account  of  the 
donations  received  by  Reifif,  and  what  we  shall  do  about  them, 
be  sent  to  Philadelphia  in  care  of  Mr.  Thomas  Lawrence,  since 
the  malicious  spirit  [of  our  opponents]  is  so  cunning  that,  if 
the  address  were  to  the  Consistory  of  Philadelphia,  the  letters 


LETTER  OF  1734  249 

would  not  be  sure  of  reaching  us. 

Very  Reverend  Sir,  we  further  ask  humbly  and  without 
wishing  to  dictate,  that  the  Christian  Synod,  be  graciously 
pleased  to  request  Mr.  Thomas  Lawrence  that  (especially  with 
regard  to  the  Reifif  afifair)  he  may  give  us  his  aid,  in  all  godly 
justice,  since  his  Excellence,  being  very  willing  to  aid  us,  can 
secure  great  advantage  to  all  of  us. 

In  conclusion,  we  beg  you,  Very  Reverend  Sir,  to  look 
upon  us,  your  obedient  servants,  and  upon  our  very  needy  con- 
dition in  this  land,  in  Christian  pity  and  brotherly  love,  and  to 
excuse  us,  together  with  all  our  fellow-brethren  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, before  the  Christian  Synod,  wherein  we  may  have  done 
something  amiss,  against  our  will,  so  that  we  may  soon  be  re- 
freshed in  our  extreme  need. 

We  shall  always  pray  God,  with  humility  of  heart  and 
fervent  prayers  from  the  bottom  of  our  hearts,  that  He,  as 
the  God  of  grace  and  the  rich  rewarder  of  all  kind  deeds, 
will  bless  here  below  the  temporal  possessions  of  each  one  and 
hereafter  will  crown  you  with  the  crown  of  righteousness. 
Commending  the  Christian  Synod,  all  families  and  the  sacred 
service  [of  the  Gospel]  to  God  and  the  Word  of  His  Grace, 
we  remain, 

Very  Reverend  Sir,  your  most  obedient,  submissive  and 
humble  fellow  servants  and  brethren  in  the  Lord  Jesus, 

The  minister  and  elders  of  the  German  Reformed  Con- 
gregation in  Philadelphia, 

JoHANN  Philips  Boe:hm,  Pastor. 
Casper  Ulrich,  elder.  Jacob  Uttre,  elder. 

Stephen  Greif,  elder.  Ullrich  Oellen,  elder. 

Zacharias  Schuckerd,  deacon.  Jacob  Orner,  deacon, 
Pennsylvania,  October  28,  1734. 
Copia. 

To  Jacob  Uttre,  Caspard  Ullrich,  Stephen  Greiff,  Ullrich 
Oellen,  Zacharias  Schuckert,  Abraham  Kintzing. 

I  attest  that  the  congregation,  established  here,  has  this 
day  elected  the  above-named  men  as  elders  and  deacons  of 
the  congregation  by  a  majority  of  votes. 

JoH.  Earth.  Rieger. 
Philadelphia,  April  2,  1734. 


250  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

[XXII.    FIRST  REPORT  OF  MR.  BOEHM  TO  THE  SYNODS  OF 
NORTH  AND  SOUTH  HOLLAND,  OCTOBER  28,  17a4."^] 

Truthful  and  Dutiful  Specification  of  the  High  German 
Reformed  Congregations  in  Pennsylvania,  showing  also  how 
many  communicants  were  present  at  the  last  Lord's  Supper  in 
each  congregation,  drawn  up  as  follows  by  the  undersigned : 

Congregations :  Communicants : 

At  Falkner  Schwam  were  found,  September  22,  1734-  •  •  •  63 

At  Schip  Bach  were  found,  September  29,  1734 41 

At  Weitmarge  were  found,  October  6,  1734 22 

At  Philadelphia  were  found,  September  15,  1734 88 

At  Germantown  were  found  (according  to  the  statement  of 
two  elders,  namely  Minck  and  Bentzel)^"^  in  Septem- 
ber,   1734    30 

At  Cannastocka  were  found,  May  31,  1730 75 

At  Dulpen  Hacken  were  found,  June  28,  1728 27 

At  Goschenhoppen,  according  to  the  statement  of  several 

members,  about 40 

It  ought  to  be  stated  that  certainly  one  half  of  the  com- 
municants of  these  congregations  arrived  here  not  long  ago, 
are  poor  people,  and  partly  servants. 

Further  report  from  Pennsylvania,  regarding  the  above 
mentioned  eight  congregations,  including  beside  them  several 
places,  which  need  to  be  provided  for  as  much  as  possible. 
These  are:  Oly  and  also  Sacon.  in  whose  neighborhood  are 
Makuntschy,  Maxadani  and  Great  Swamp,  where,  notwith- 
standing their  being  scattered  very  far  apart,  yet  a  considerable 
number  of  people  can  come  together.  As  the  population 
increases  other  congregations  may  be  organized.    For  the  pres- 

*"*The  original  German  report  is  no  longer  in  existence,  but  a 
Dutch  translation  is  in  the  archives  at  The  Hague,  74,  I,  18. 

"'On  November  8,  1732,  Henry  Frederick,  of  Germantown,  and 
Anna  Barbara,  his  wife,  conveyed  by  deed  one-eighth  of  an  acre  of 
land  to  John  Bechtel,  turner;  Christopher  Meng  (called  Minck  by 
Boehm),  mason;  Jacob  Bauman,  carpenter,  and  George  Bensel,  yeo- 
man (the  same  as  Bentzel),  for  fifteen  pounds,  in  trust  for  the  Re- 
formed congregation.  The  land  is  described  as  "beginning  at  a  stone 
set  for  a  corner  by  the  Germantown  market  place,  being  also  the 
corner  of  Nicolas  De  la  Plaine's  land."  Recorder  of  Deeds  office,  Phila- 
delphia, Book  I.  Vol.  8,  p.  327. 


LETTER  OF  1734  251 

ent,  however,  although  with  much  effort,  they  can  suitably  be 
served  by  four  ministers  in  the  following  manner : 

1.  By  one  minister,  Philadelphia  and  Germantown,  which 
are  6  English  miles  apart ;  and  as  Germantown  is  a  very  advan- 
tageous place,  if  the  congregation  there  would  fraternally  unite 
with  that  of  Weitmarge  (since  they  are  very  weak  and  but  4 
English  miles  apart,  and  most  of  the  people  are  going  to  live 
at  Germantown),  the  same  might  very  properly  change  its 
location  [to  Germantown] ,  about  which  I,  as  the  regular  pastor 
at  Weitmarge  have  already  spoken  to  the  elders  there,  who 
agree  with  me  in  acknowledging  this  to  be  beneficial  and  ser- 
viceable, and  in  case  any  order  were  given  in  the  matter  they 
would  be  willing  to  obey.  By  means  of  such  a  union  they 
would  also  be  in  a  better  condition  in  due  time  to  support  a 
pastor  themselves. 

2.  By  the  second  minister,  Falkner  Schwam  and  Schip- 
bach,  which  are  about  12  English  miles  apart ;  and  if  he  would 
conduct  services  at  each  of  these  places  once  every  3  weeks,  he 
might  between  times,  and  on  one  Sunday,  according  to  op- 
portunity, preach  at  01y,^°^  and  whenever  it  may  be  necessary. 

3.  By  the  third  minister,  Cannastocka  [Conestoga]  and 
Dulpehacken  [Tulpehocken] .    And,  whereas  Cannastocka^"^  is 

"'Reformed  settlers  began  to  arrive  at  Oley  as  early  as  1712. 
They  had  originally  been  part  of  the  Kocherthal  colony,  which  reached 
New  York  in  December,  1708.  Although  Kocherthal  was  a  Lutheran 
minister,  yet  the  Minutes  of  the  English  Board  of  Trade,  under  date 
April  26,  1708,  show,  that  of  the  41  original  emigrants  26  were  Cal- 
vinists  and  15  Lutherans  (see  Jacobs,  Gentian  Emigration  to  America, 
1709-1740,  Lancaster  1899,  p.  47).  In  June,  1708,  fourteen  other  Pala- 
tines joined  Kocherthal's  company  {Col.  Hist,  of  N.  Y.,  V,  44),  and 
with  these  (55  persons  in  all)  he  landed  in  New  York  (see  list  in 
Col.  Hist,  of  N.  Y.,  V,  52f).  They  were  settled  at  Quasaick,  now  a 
part  of  Newburgh,  on  the  Hudson.  In  May,  1709,  Kocherthal  com- 
plained that  19  of  the  Germans  had  become  "pietists."  (Doc.  Hist,  of 
N.  Y.,  Ill,  544).  These  were  most  likely  the  Reformed  (Hugue- 
not) contingent.  They  left  New  York  State  in  1712  and  went  to 
Pennsylvania.  Some  of  them  settled  at  Oley,  among  others  Isaac  de 
Turk  and  Mary  Weimar,  whom  he  had  married,  the  rest  went  to  Lan- 
caster  County,   among  whom   was    Isaac   Lefevre  and    Daniel    Ferree. 

""^The  first  Reformed  Church  in  the  Conestoga  valley  is  iden- 
tical with  Heller's  Reformed  Church  in  Upper  Leacock  township,  Lan- 
caster County,  see  p.  64. 


252  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

spread  over  a  great  extent  of  territory  (almost  if  not  more  than 
70  miles  from  Philadelphia)  and  has  very  many  Reformed 
people,  if  they  had  a  faithful  pastor  of  their  own,  they  might 
then  be  united  [into  one  charge] ,  so  that  the  pastor  could  con- 
duct services  at  two  or  three  places,  as  might  be  deemed  ad- 
visable, and  besides  have  services  every  4  weeks  at  Dulpe- 
hacken,"°  which  is  about  18  miles  distant.  Now  this  was  the 
condition  of  Cannastocka  and  Dulpenhacken  at  the  period  above 
mentioned,  when  at  their  request  I  administered  the  Lord's 
Supper  to  them,  and  Cannastocka  accepted  and  subscribed  to 
our  Church  Order;  and  although  they  were  scattered  by  Peter 
Miller,  yet  I  hope,  with  the  help  of  God,  to  restore  them  to  their 
former  condition. 

4.  A  fourth  minister  would  greatly  be  needed  at  Goschop- 
pen  [Goshenhoppen],  about  36  miles  from  Philadelphia."^  He 
might  conduct  services  there  every  3  weeks,  and  use  the  rest 
of  the  time  to  feed  the  poor  sheep  at  the  end  of  the  wilderness, 
in  the  above-mentioned  Sacon,^^^  Makundschi   [Macungie],^" 

""For  the  early  history  of  the  Tulpehocken  Reformed  Church, 
see  p.  66ff.  The  existence  of  a  church  building  at  Tulpehocken  in 
1727  is  vouched  for  by  a  petition  which,  in  September,  1727,  was  ad- 
dressed by  the  "Inhabitants  of  the  North  West  parts  of  the  Township 
of  Oley,  Tulpehocken  and  parts  adjacent,"  to  the  Court  at  Philadel- 
phia, praying  that  "a  high  road  be  laid  out,  beginning  at  the  Lutheran 
Meeting  House  at  Tulpehocken  and  to  end  in  the  High  road  at  the 
Quaker  Meeting  House  near  George  Boone's  Mill  in  Oley." 

"*  According  to  Gordon's  Gazetteer  of  Pennsylvania,  printed  in 
1832  (see  Dotterer,  Perkiomen  Region,  Vol.  I,  p.  14),  New  Goshen- 
hoppen is  situated  37  miles  northwest  of  Philadelphia.  This  shows  that 
Boehm  referred  to  the  New  Goshenhoppen  church  in  1734. 

"'This  is  the  first  reference  to  the  Saucon  Reformed  Church, 
situated  in  Lower  Saucon  township,  Northampton  County.  Between 
1736-1739,  Henry  Goetschy  preached  at  Saucon.  In  1739,  Mr.  Boehm 
writes  of  Saucon  Creek  as  "a  somewhat  out-of-the-way  place,  but  many 
Reformed  people  live  there."  On  September  23,  1740,  three  children, 
whose  parents  were  members  at  Egypt,  were  baptized  by  "Inspector 
Peter  Heinrich  Torschius  in  the  Sakum  church."  This  was  the  Rev. 
P.  H.  Dorsius,  of  Neshaminy,  Bucks  County.  He  probably  continued 
visiting  Saucon  till  he  left  for  Holland  in  May,  1743.  In  1747  John 
Conrad  Wirtz  was  serving  "Saccony."  See  Schlatter's  Life  and  Travels, 
p.  162. 

"'Macnngie  is  a  district  in  the  western  part  of  Lehigh  County, 
now   divided  into  Upper  and   Lower   Macungie  townships.     The   first 


LETTER  OF  1734  253 

Maxadani  [Maxatawny]  "*  and  Grooten  Schwam  [Great 
Swamp]/"  who  thirst  for  the  hearing  of  God's  Word,  as  the 
dry  earth  for  water.  Many  people  from  these  regions  have  al- 
ready been  to  see  me  in  great  sadness  and  complained  of  the 

organization  of  the  Reformed  people  in  this  region  probably  took 
place  at  the  "Ziegel  Church,"  in  what  is  now  Weissenberg  township. 
The  Constitution  of  the  congregation  is  dated  "Macunchy,  July  6,  1750." 
According  to  Rev.  Wm.  Helfifrich,  for  many  years  pastor  of  the  con- 
gregation, the  old  church  record,  now  unfortunately  burnt,  contained 
baptisms  up  to  the  fourth  decade  of  the  18th  century.  The  first 
church  was  built  in  1749.  See  Helffrich,  Gcschichtc  verschiedener 
Gemeinden  in  Lecha  nud  Berks  Counties,  Allentown,  1891,  p.  6f. 
Another  early  Reformed  congregation  in  the  Macungie  region  is 
Western  Salisbury,  near  Emaus,  whose  first  church  building  was 
erected  in  1741.  It  is  possibly  older  than  the  Ziegel  Church.  See 
History  of  Western  Salisbury  Church,  [Allentown],  1911,  p.  9;  Skis- 
sen  aus  dem  Lecha  Thale,  Allentown,  1880-188G,  p.  72. 

"*  Maxatawny  is  a  township  in  the  eastern  part  of  Berks  County. 
Mr.  Goetschy  preached  at  Maxatawny  before  1739.  In  1739,  Boehm 
sa3's  that  a  minister  might  serve  Maxatawny  in  connection  with  Oley, 
"which  is  at  a  distance  of  ten  miles."  This  implies  clearly  an 
organization. 

The  first  Reformed  services  were  held  in  Maxatawny,  most 
likely  in  the  house  of  Jacob  Levan.  at  what  is  now  called  Eaglepoint. 
From  the  balcony  of  that  house  Zinzendorf  preached  in  1742,  and 
Michael  Schlatter  on  June  28,  1747.  Jacob  Levan,  Sr.,  gave  five  acres 
and  lOG  perches  of  land  for  a  meeting  house  at  Maxatawny.  Upon 
this  land  a  church  is  said  to  have  been  built  in  1755,  under  the  pas- 
torate of  Frederick  Casimir  Mueller.  In  1759,  the  congregation 
divided.  Many  of  the  members  formed  in  that  year  a  new  congre- 
gation and  built  a  new  church,  two  miles  further  south,  at  Bower's, 
in  Maxatawny  township.  See  Rev.  John  B.  Stoudt  on  the  "Maxatawny 
Reformed  Congregation,"  in  the  Centennial  History  of  Kutstozvn,  1915, 
pp.  76-86. 

"°  This  is  the  first  reference  to  the  Great  Swamp  Church  in 
Lower  Milford  township,  Lehigh  County.  A  very  interesting  reference 
to  this  congregation,  unnoticed  thus  far,  occurs  in  a  letter  of  Rev.  Bolt- 
zius.  Ebenezer,  Georgia,  to  Dr.  G.  A.  Franke,  of  Halle.  Under  date  of 
December  12,  1734,  he  writes :  "In  the  above  mentioned  Great  Swamp 
there  is  also  a  small  Reformed  congregation,  which  has  its  own 
preacher."  (See  Heinrich  Melchior  Muhlenberg's  Selbstbiographie, 
Allentown,  p.  213.)  This  preacher  can  have  been  none  else  than  Rev. 
John  Peter  Miller,  who  entered  baptisms  into  the  New  Goshenhoppen 
record  till  July  28,  1734.  From  1730-1739,  John  Henry  Goetschy 
served  this  congregation.  He  opened  the  oldest  church  record  of  the 
congregation  on  April  26,  1736. 


254  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

lamentable  state  of  their  souls.  There  were  also  some,  who 
being  able  to  make  the  journey,  have  come  at  various  times  to 
commune  in  the  congregation  entrusted  to  me  at  Falkner 
Schwam,  a  distance  of  certainly  25  to  30  English  miles,  and 
brought  children  for  baptism,  which  journey,  however,  is  im- 
possible for  old  persons  and  weak  or  pregnant  women,  so  that 
it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  (especially  when  one  remembers 
that  there  are  children  who  for  lack  of  a  minister  cannot  be 
brought  to  baptism  until  they  are  several  years  of  age)  that 
my  heart  breaks  and  my  eyes  are  full  of  tears  about  this  con- 
dition. But  I  cannot  accomplish  this  work  alone,  for  my  years 
are  beginning  to  accumulate,  and  my  poor  body  is  also  getting 
feeble,  since  I  must  not  only  make  long  journeys  and  preach, 
but  also  because  the  poor  people  are  not  able  to  support  me,  I 
must  support  my  large  family  with  hard,  manual  labor. 

It  is  indeed  true  that  three  young  ministers  have  been  here, 
namely  Mr.  George  Michael  Weis,  Mr.  Peter  Miller,  and  Mr. 
Barthol.  Rieger,  coming  from  the  Palatinate,  but  for  what 
they  have  done  here  I  wish  that  God  may  forgive  them,  be- 
cause, after  they  had  disturbed  the  congregations  for  a  long 
time,  even  those  entrusted  to  my  care,  they  again  left  and 
abandoned  the  sheep  misled  by  their  shepherds.  Nevertheless 
one  of  them  is  still  in  this  country,  namely,  Peter  Miller.  When 
this  man  could  not  bring  the  people  over  to  his  opinion,  he 
quitted  the  ministry  altogether,  and  he  is  now  an  oil-miller.^^® 
But  what  he  was  after,  and  thought  of  persuading  the  people 
to  do,  is  plainly  to  be  seen  from  this,  overlooking  everything 
else :  about  two  years  ago  he  went  with  one  of  his  elders,  whom 
he  had  installed  in  the  congregation  at  Goschenhakken  [Goshen- 
hoppen],  into  the  house  of  a  Seventh  Day  "Tumpler"  [Bun- 
ker], and  there  they  allowed  themselves  to  be  called  brethren 
and  to  have  their  feet  washed  by  him ;  and  this  is  the  truth, 
whereupon  followed  his  complete  apostasy.^" 

"'  This  is  most  likely  the  meaning  of  the  Dutch  term  "Oly- 
persser."  It  was  first  suggested  by  the  late  Prof.  J.  H.  Dubbs,  in  his 
Reformed  Church  in  Pennsylvania,  p.  96,  note  93.  It  agrees  with 
Miller's  own  statement.     See  next  note. 

"'  It  is  of  interest  to  put  alongside  of  this  statement  of  Mr. 
Boehm,  Miller's  own  account,  written  on  December  5,  1790,  to  a  friend : 
"In  August,  1730,  I  arrived  in  Philadelphia,  and  was  there  at  the  end 


LETTER  OF  1734  255 

I  have  now  for  about  eight  years,  ministered  in  my  poverty 
to  my  three  congregations  entrusted  to  me  at  Falkner  Schwam, 
Schipbach  and  Weitmarge,  according  to  our  Church  Order.  To 
them  has  been  added  three  months  ago  the  congregation  at 
Philadelphia,  which  has  entered  on  all  points  into  a  firm  and 
complete  agreement  with  me.  To  this  Church  Order  none  of 
the  three  young  ministers  would  submit,  but  sought  to  live 
according  to  their  own  ideas,  and  Miller,  in  my  presence  called 
the  Heidelberg  Catechism  a  work  of  men,  adding  that  Chris- 

of  the  said  year,  upon  order  of  the  Scotch  Synod,  ordained  in  the  old 
Presbyterian  meeting  house,  by  three  eminent  ministers,  Tenant,  An- 
drew and  Boyd.  Having  officiated  among  the  Germans  several  years 
I  quitted  the  ministry,  and  returned  to  private  life.  About  that  time 
our  small  State  was  in  its  infancy.  I  never  had  an  inclination  to 
join  it,  because  of  the  contempt  and  reproach  which  lay  on  the  same; 
but  my  inward  Conductor,  brought  me  to  that  critical  dilemma,  either 
to  be  a  member  of  this  institution  or  to  consent  to  my  own  condem- 
nation, when  also  I  was  forced  to  choose  the  first.  In  my  company 
had  been  the  schoolmaster,  three  elderlings  (Conrad  Weiser  one), 
five  families  and  some  single  persons,  which  had  raised  such  a  fer- 
mentation in  that  church,  that  a  persecution  might  have  followed,  had 
the  magistrate  consented  with  the  generality.  We  have  been  incor- 
porated with  said  congregation  in  May,  1735,  by  holy  Baptism :  When 
we  were  conducted  to  the  water,  I  did  not  much  differ  from  a  poor 
criminal  under  sentence  of  death.  Whoever  [ !]  the  Lord  our  God  did 
strengthen  me,  when  I  came  into  the  water  and  then  in  a  solemn 
manner  renounced  my  life  with  all  its  prerogatives  without  reservation 
and  I  found  by  experience  in  subsequent  times,  that  all  this  was  put 
into  the  divine  records,  for  God  never  failed  in  his  promise  to  assist 
me  in  time  of  need.  At  that  time  the  solitary  brethren  and  sisters 
lived  dispersed  in  the  wilderness  of  Conestoga,  each  for  himself,  as 
Heremits,  and  I  following  that  same  way,  did  set  up  my  Hermitage  in 
Dulpehakin  at  the  foot  of  a  mountain,  on  a  limped  spring,  the  house 
is  still  extant  there  with  an  old  orchard.  There  did  I  lay  the  foun- 
dation of  the  solitary  life,  but  the  melancholy  temptations  which  did 
trouble  me  every  day,  did  prognosticate  to  me  misery  and  affliction  : 
Whoever  [ !]  I  had  not  lived  there  half  a  year,  when  a  great  change 
happened :  for  a  camp  was  laid  out  for  all  solitary  persons  at  the  very 
spot  where  Ephrata  stands  and  where  at  that  time  the  President 
[Conrad  Beissel]  lived  with  some  heremits.  And  now,  when  all  here- 
mits were  called  in,  I  also  quitted  my  solitude  and  exchanged  the  same 
for  the  monastic  life,  which  was  judged  to  be  more  inservient  to 
Sanctification  than  the  life  of  a  hermit,  where  many  under  a  pretence 
of  holiness  did  nothing  but  nourish  their  own  selfishness."  See  Haz- 
ard's Register,  Vol.  XVL  p.  2o4f. 


250  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

tians  were  a  free  people,  and  had  no  need  on  earth  of  a  head, 
that  Christ  in  heaven  was  their  only  head,  and  that  he  would 
not  allow  himself  to  be  subjected  to  a  human  yoke,  etc.  Mean- 
while the  dissensions  which  have  hitherto  prevailed  have  been, 
by  God's  grace,  mostly  overcome,  and  the  united  congregations 
and  members  live  in  peace.  Those  few  who  in  spite  of  every 
admonition,  will  not  as  yet  unite  in  love,  according  to  the  rule 
of  God's  Sacred  Word,  we  leave  to  their  well-deserved  judg- 
ment. 

Thus  writes,  according  to  truth,  upon  his  inevitable  re- 
sponsibility before  the  judgment-seat  of  God,  he  who  esteems 
himself  the  least  of  all  the  servants  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  un- 
worthy of  the  Sacred  Gospel,  and  testifies  to  it  by  his  own 
signature,  October  i8,  1734- 

JoH.  Philips  BoEhm, 
Reformed   Minister   in    Pennsylvania. 

The  foregoing  statistics,  and  the  additional  submissive  re- 
port and  proposals,  made  with  due  deference,  are  recognized 
by  us,  according  to  our  bounden  duty,  as  useful  and  tending  to 
promote  the  interests  of  the  true  Church  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
we  agree  with  them  in  every  respect.  Moreover,  we,  the 
present  ruling  elders  and  deacons  of  the  three  congregations  at 
Falkner  Schwam,  Schip  Bach  and  Weitmarge,  recognize  and 
honor  the  Rev.  Johan  Philips  Boehm,  as  a  minister  properly 
ordained  by  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Gualtherus  Du  Bois,  Henricus 
Boel  and  Vincentius  Antonides,  ministers  at  New  York  and 
Long  Island,  which  was  done  by  order  of  the  Reverend  Classis 
of  Amsterdam  (to  which  Reverend  Classis  we  sent  a  submissive 
petition  concerning  it).  This  ordination  took  place  in  the 
presence  of  three  of  us,  as  elders  delegated  for  this  purpose. 
We  also  recognize  him  as  our  pastor,  regularly  called  as  the 
faithful  shepherd  of  our  souls,  who  has  hitherto  administered 
his  office,  under  the  greatest  trials,  in  such  a  manner  that  we 
cannot  complain  in  the  least  about  any  neglect  on  his  part.  We 
wish  that  the  good  Lord  may  graciously  preserve  him  among 
us  for  many  years  in  the  same  fidelity  and  zeal,  to  the  best 
interests  of  His  Church. 

This  we  sign  with  our  own  hands,  and  dutifully  testify  to 


LETTER  OF  1734 


257 


it  in  Pennsylvania. 

Done  in  our 

Consistory  at 
Falkner  Schwam, 
October  20,  1734. 


Done  in  our 
Consistory  at 
Schipbach, 
October  27,  1734. 


/'Gosen  Thonis,  elder. 
Sebastian  Reiffschneider,  elder.^^® 
jSigmundus  Schmidts,  elder 
jjohannes  Herb,  elder. 
'Johann  Heinrich  Schmidt,  deacon. 
Johannes  Drinktdenhengst,  deacon. 

/Johan  Ulric  Stephen,  elder.^^® 
[Jacob  Arent,  Sr.,  elder. 
iPhiHp  Heink  (  !)  Seller,  elder. 
jChristian  Leeman,  elder. 
'Johannes  Dintenmeyer,  deacon. 
iAdam  Kind,  deacon. 


Done  in  our 
Consistory  at 
Weitmarge, 
October  28,  1734. 


''William  de  Wees,  elder.^^° 
jChristoffel  Ottinger,  elder. 
iLudwig  Knaus,  deacon. 
I  Johan  'Michael  Gleim,  deacon. ^^"'^ 


"*  Through  the  list  of  taxables  published  in  Rupp,  Thirty  Thou- 
sand Names,  pp.  470-478,  it  is  possible  to  locate  the  homes  of  several 
of  these  men.  Sebastian  Reifschneider  was  paying  quit-rent,  in  1734, 
on  100  acres  in  Hanover  township,  Johannes  Herb  in  Frederick  town- 
ship, (acres  not  given),  J.  Heinrich  Schmidt,  in  Frederick  township,  on 
80  acres. 

"'  Ulrich  Steffen  paid  quit-rent  in  1734  on  50  acres  in  Salford 
township;  Christian  Lehman  on  100  acres,  also  in  Salford  township; 
Jacob  Arent  qualified  in  Philadelphia,  September  27,  1727.  He  was 
naturalized  in  1734.    See  Pa.  Archives,  2nd  Series,  Vol.  VH,  p.  116. 

""William  De  Wees  paid  quit-rent  in  1734  in  Cresheim  town- 
ship on  150  acres ;  Christopher  Ottinger,  in  Springfield  township  on 
85  acres;  Ludwig  Knaus,  in  Whitemarsh  township,  on  lOO  acres. 

"'"'  John  Michael  Gleim  qualified  in  Philadelphia  August  17,  1731. 

In  1747,  Michael  Cleim  became  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  Whit- 
pain  church  land.  In  May,  1749,  Michael  Cleim,  innholder  in  Whit- 
pain  township,  acted  as  one  of  the  bondsmen  for  John  Philip  Boehm,  Jr. 


258  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

[XXIII.    MR.    BOEHM    AXD    HIS    CONSISTORIES    TO    THE 
CLASSIS  OF  AMSTERDAM,  MARCH  10,  1738.]"' 

Very     Reverend     Classis,     Reverend     and    Devout     Church 

Fathers : — 

Your  humble  servants  and  children  have  hitherto  been 
unable  to  refrain  from  dutifully  describing  the  Church  of  Jesus 
as  it  exists  here  in  temporal  poverty.  But  since  we  have  trans- 
mitted the  submissive  report  and  non-authoritative  opinion,  re- 
quired of  us  by  the  Christian  Synods,  in  the  month  of  October, 
1734/"  through  the  Reverend  Ministers  in  New  York;  also 
the  submissive  report  to  the  Reverend  Classis  on  November  29, 
1735,  through  Captain  Stettmann  j^^^  and  the  last  submissive 
letter  to  the  Reverend  Classis,  dated  February  26,  1737,  and 
sent  through  Captain  Stettmann  of  this  place;  besides  those 
letters  which  we  sent  very  submissively,  (with  the  knowledge 
of  the  Reverend  Classis)  to  the  Christian  Synods, — we  have 
not  received  during  this  whole  time,  in  our  so  lamentable  con- 
dition, a  single  word  for  our  information  and  comfort,  neither 
from  the  Christian  Synods,  nor  from  the  Reverend  Classis,  as 
our  devout  Church  Fathers.  This  has  produced  the  greatest 
sorrow  in  our  souls,  for  we  do  not  know  how  to  help  ourselves, 
and  we  doubt,  not  so  much  that  our  submissive  reports  were 
not  duly  received  as  that  your  kind  answers  were  withheld 
from  us.  For  we  cannot  believe  it  possible  that  our  devout 
Church  Fathers  should  not  have  deemed  their  humble  and 
obedient  children  worthy  of  a  comforting  answer  in  view  of 
their  urgent  complaints  and  their  truthful  and  dutiful  reports. 

"'  The  original  of  this  letter  is  in  the  archives  of  the  Classis 
of  Amsterdam. 

^"  The  letters  of  Boehm,  written  November  25,  1735,  and  Febru- 
ary 26, 1737,  apparently  never  reached  their  destination,  for  the  Classical 
Minutes  make  no  reference  to  them. 

"*  In  Rupp's  Thirty  Thousand  Names  of  Immigrants,  Captain 
John  Stedman  appears  repeatedly.  On  September  11,  1731,  John  Sted- 
man,  Master,  arrived  in  Philadelphia  from  Rotterdam,  with  the  ship 
"Pennsylvania  Merchant";  September  11,  1732,  with  the  same  ship; 
September  18,  1733,  again  with  the  same  ship;  September  12,  1734, 
with  the  ship  "Saint  Andrew";  September  26,  1737,  with  the  same 
ship;  October  27,  1738,  with  the  same  ship.  On  October  2,  1741, 
Charles  Stedman,  Master,  arrived  at  Philadelphia  from  Rotterdam 
with  the  same  ship,  "St.  Andrew." 


LETTER  OF  1738  259 

Because  it  does  not  concern  us  so  much  as  the  great  work  of 
the  great  God,  in  the  building  up  of  the  body  of  Christ.  But  we 
would  ask  the  Reverend  Classis  with  due  deference,  whether 
there  are  perhaps  valid  reasons. 

We  beg  of  you  most  humbly  to  gladden  us  soon  with  your 
comforting  answer,  for  the  condition  in  this  country  is  still  the 
same.  Concerning  the  money  collected  by  Weis  and  Reiff  we 
have  as  yet  nothing  in  hand.  But  we  ask  not  to  let  the  innocent 
sheep  suffer  on  this  account.  If  the  receipts,  given  by  them 
concerning  it,  together  with  a  power  of  attorney  were  sent 
over  to  a  man,  designated  by  you  according  of  your  pleasure, 
as  we  suggested  in  our  last  submissive  letter,  then  something 
could  soon  be  done,  but  without  them  it  will  hardly  be  possible 
to  obtain  anything  from  them  by  legal  process,  for  they  have 
both  sworn  against  one  another.  Now,  if  our  devout  Church 
Fathers  should  be  pleased  to  send  these  to  us,  we  would  hope 
to  secure  it  soon. 

Last  fall  Do.  Dorsius^^^  arrived  here  as  the  regular  minis- 

"*  A  few  details  may  be  added  to  the  sketch  given  on  p.  54fif 
of  his  life.  April  5,  1734,  he  matriculated  at  the  University  of 
Groningen,  Holland,  and  on  September  17,  1736,  at  Leyden  University, 
signing  his  name:  "Petrus  Henricus  Dorsius,  Meursanus,  25  [years], 
T.  [Theologus]."  Rev.  Dr.  John  VVilhelmius,  of  Rotterdam,  secured 
him  for  service  in  Pennsylvania.  March  1,  1735,  he  wrote  as  fol- 
lows to  the  Dutch  Reformed  congregation  at  Neshaminy,  Bucks 
County :  "I  was  much  pleased  from  your  letter,  sent  to  me  October 
80,  1734,  that  you  approve  of  the  selection  of  this  young  man,  not 
quite  26  years  old  and  still  unmarried.  He  has  already  studied  much 
and  understands  the  learned  languages,  Latin,  Greek  and  Hebrew, 
so  well  that  he  is  giving  instruction  in  them  to  others.  He  is  also 
far  advanced  in  theology,  and  needs  but  little  more  training  in  the 
university.  He  is  a  pious  young  man,  who  is  burning  with  the  desire 
to  preach  the  name  of  Jesus  in  the  New  World.  I  have  asked  him  to 
sign  a  paper,  by  which  he  obligates  himself,  that,  after  his  studies 
have  been  completed,  he  will  go  to  you  and  accept  your  call."  After 
being  licensed  and  ordained  in  1737,  Dorsius  sailed  for  America.  He 
arrived  at  Philadelphia,  September  26,  1737.  He  was  pastor  of  the 
congregations  of  North  and  South  Hampton,  Bucks  County,  1737-1743. 
He  visited  Holland,  May,  1743 — January,  1744,  when  he  returned  to 
Pennsylvania.  He  was  again  pastor  of  his  former  charges,  1744-1748. 
In  the  latter  year  he  returned  to  Holland,  where  he  served  several 
congregations.  He  died  about  1757.  In  that  year  his  widow  is  re- 
ferred to  in  the  Coetus  Minutes. 


260  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

ter  of  the  Low  Dutch  congregation  at  Jamine  [Neshaminy]  in 
Bucks  County.  With  him  there  came  another,  named  Van 
Basten,^^^  who  however  is  not  yet  ordained.  He,  therefore, 
travels  about  in  the  country,  preaching  here  and  there.  He 
says  that  he  has  been  sent  here  from  Holland,  but  thus  far  he 
has  not  caused  us  any  pleasure  at  all. 

Very  Reverend  Classis,  we  repeat  all  the  humble  petitions 
of  our  previous  submissive  letters  and  again  ask  urgently  and 
submissively  that  you  will  act  as  our  representatives  before  the 
Christian  Synods,  presenting  us  as  their  obedient  and  sub- 
missive children,  and  that  you  will  soon  gladden  us  with  a 
favorable  answer.  For  we  cannot  help  ourselves  in  our  poverty 
and  hence  no  growth  of  our  true  Church  takes  place. 

With  the  firm  hope,  resting  upon  the  Reverend  Classis, 
that  we  shall  soon  be  quickened  by  your  God-pleasing  love  to 
us  needy  members, 

We  commend  the  Very  Reverend  Classis,  as  our  devout 
Church  Fathers,  your  reverend  persons,  all  your  families  and 
holy  service  to  the  all-powerful  protection  and  divine  grace 
of  the  almighty  and  loving  God,  and  remain  unalterably, 

Very  Reverend  Classis, 

Your  submissive  and  obedient  children  and 

fellow-mem.bers  of  Christ, 

JoHAN  Philips  Boehm,  minister. 


County  of  Philadelphia 
in  Pennsylvania, 
March  lo,  1738. 

At  Falkner  Schwam 


B.  Reiffschneider,  elder. 
J.  B.  Arent,  elder. 

U.  Stephan,  elder. 


AtSchipBach  {1,1!^ 


"'According  to  Rupp's  List,  p.  109,  "Joh.  Herm.  von  Basten, 
Candidatus  S.  Th."  arrived  at  Philadelphia,  September  20,  1737  (or 
October  5,  new  style),  with  the  ship  "Saint  Andrew,"  John  Stedman, 
Master.  Dorsius  accompanied  him,  although  his  name  does  not  ap- 
pear in  Rupp's  list.  In  December,  1739,  van  Basten  preached  at 
Poughkeepsie,  in  1739-1740  at  Jamaica,  Success,  Oyster  Bay  and  New- 
ton. See  Corwin,  Manual  of  the  Reformed  Cliureh  in  America,  4th 
ed.,  p.  807. 


At  Weitmarge 
At  Philadelphia 


LETTER  OF  1739  261 


William  de  Wees,  elder. 
Ludvvig  Knaus,  deacon. 

Casper  Ulrich,  elder. 
Jacob  Walter/-"  [deacon]. 


[XXIV.    THE   CLASSIS   OF   AMSTERDAM   TO   MR.   BOEHM, 
UNDATED,  BUT  WRITTEN  IN  JANUARY  1739."' 

1739. 
To  Mr.  John  Philip  Boehm. 
Reverend  Sir: — 

The  very  poor  condition  of  your  church  and  yourself  has  be- 
come known  to  us  through  outsiders  as  well  as  through  yourself,  and 
aid  has  been  requested  by  several  to  relieve  your  poverty.  Your  con- 
dition greatly  grieves  us  and  we  are  not  disinclined  to  seek  such  help 
for  you  as  we  can,  as  opportunity  offers  and  when  circumstances  favor 
it.  But  there  is  one  thing.  Reverend  Sir,  which  somewhat  detracts 
from  our  inclination  in  this  matter  and  that  is  that  there  are  certain 
rumors  to  your  disadvantage,  which  have  reached  our  ears,  both  by 
letter"*  and  by  word  of  mouth.  It  is  said,  that,  not  possessing  much 
learning  yourself,  and  not  being  particularly  anxious  to  obtain  it,  you 
spend  the  whole  week  in  manual  toil  and  on  the  Sabbath  you  just  read 
and  mumble  something  from  a  postil  [sermon-book],  which  conduct 
is  not  a  little  offensive.  Hence  you  have  been  mocked  by  the  Quakers 
and  you  have  very  few  hearers.  Now  it  is  true  that  such  reports  do 
influence  us,  but  it  is  also  true  that  we  do  not  wish  to  condemn  you 
immediately  because  of  this;  for  if  accusations  alone  were  sufficient, 
who  would  be  innocent? 

These  things,  however,  give  us  a  great  concern  about  you ;  and 
even  as  we  take  the  liberty  in  brotherly  affection  to  remind  you  of 
them,    we  also   earnestly   request   you   to   say   nothing   about   them   to 

'^  A  Jacob  Walter,  perhaps  identical  with  this  deacon,  arrived 
in  Philadelphia,  September  26,  1732. 

"'  A  copy  of  the  original  is  in  the  Classical  Letterbook,  Vol.  XXIX, 
p.  253.  The  date  appears  from  the  minutes  of  the  Classis.  Under 
date  January  13,  1739,  the  deputies  were  requested  to  write  to  Do. 
Boehm,  asking  him  to  clear  himself  of  certain  charges,  contained  in 
a  letter  brought  in  against  him  by  Do.  Wilhelmius,  minister  at 
Rotterdam. 

"*This  was  evidently  the  letter,  sent  by  the  opponents  of  Boehm, 
in  the  fall  of  1738,  to  Dr.  Wilhelmius,  to  which  Boehm  makes  ref- 
erence in  the  postscript  of  his  letter  of  March  16,  1739,  see  below,  p.  2G7. 


262  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

others,  but  only  make  sure  of  your  defense  by  sufficient  testimonials 
from  trustworthy  members  of  your  church. 

Thus  will  we  become  better  acquainted  with  all  the  facts  of  the 
case  and  will  be  thereby  guided  in  our  measures  and  decisions. 

Our  prayer  is  that  the  Lord  may  fully  sanctify  us  and  preserve 
blameless  our  whole  spirit,  soul  and  body  unto  the  coming  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.    Yea,  the  Lord  sanctify  us  and  you  by  the  truth,  by  His 
holy  Word,  which  alone  leads  to  salvation. 
God  be  with  you  continually, 
We  are  and  remain, 

John  Plantinus, 

Praeses. 
C.  Van  den  Bogaerde, 

Scriba. 
P.  S.  You  will  also  please  be  careful  to  guard  with  all  earnest- 
ness against  all  manner  of  errorists  and  so  also  against  the  Moravians, 
who  spread  themselves  everywhere  even  in  foreign  lands.  They  hold 
many  doctrines  contrary  to  the  fundamentals  of  our  pure  Reformed 
Church. 


[XXV.    MR.    BOEHM    TO    THE    CLASSIS    OF    AMSTERDAM, 
MARCH  16,  1739."'] 

Very     Reverend    Classis,     Reverend    and    Devout     Church 

Fathers: — 

I  desire  to  report,  duly  and  submissively,  to  the  Reverend 
Classis  that  his  Reverence,  Mr.  Peter  Henry  Dorsius,  minister 
at  Jamine  [Neshaminy]  in  Bucks  County,  here  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, in  the  month  of  November,  1738,  sent  his  regards  to  me 
through  a  messenger  and  asked  me  to  come  to  see  him  as  soon 
as  I  had  an  opportunity  of  doing  so,  as  it  was  very  necessary 
for  him  to  speak  with  me.  Whereupon  immediately,  on  the  28th 
of  that  month,  I  went  to  him.  Then  his  Reverence  showed 
me  his  letters  from  the  two  Christian  Synods  of  North  and 
South  Holland,  in  which  I  saw  that  these  Christian  Synods  had 
appointed  his  Reverence  as  their  Commissioner  and  inspector^^° 

'"The  original  German  letter  of  Boehm  is  in  the  Classical  ar- 
chives at  Amsterdam. 

""The  title  "inspector"  was  assumed  by  Dorsius,  in  his  letters 
to  Boehm  (see  p.  271).  without  authority  from  Holland.  It  was  an 
office  unknown  to  the  constitution  of  the  Dutch  Church.  Hence  the 
Synods  could  not  have  appointed  him  to  such  an  office. 


LETTER  OF  1739  263 

over  the  German  churches  in  Pennsylvania.  Then  his  Rev- 
erence requested  me  to  make  a  report,  which  I  was  ready  to 
do,  out  of  due  respect  for  the  Christian  Synods,  upon  no  other 
condition  than  that  his  Reverence  give  me  a  written  request,  in 
his  own  handwriting.  Whereupon  his  Reverence  wrote  the 
same,  as  is  shown  by  the  accompanying  copy,  marked  A. 

Thereupon  I  used  my  utmost  endeavor  to  advance  the 
work  of  the  Lord  and  placed  the  report  into  the  hands  of  his 
Reverence,  at  his  home,  on  February  26th,  [1739],  signed  by 
31  officiating  elders  and  deacons  of  six  preaching  places, 
namely:  Philadelphia,  Falkner  Schwam,  Oly,  Schip  Each, 
Weitmarge  and  Dolpihacken  [Tulpehocken]. 

Very  Reverend  Classis,  it  is  not  difficult  to  understand  how 
my  heart  was  troubled  in  these  affairs.  For  I  sent  a  letter, 
dated  November  26,  1735,  through  Casper  Ulrich"^  an  elder 
at  Philadelphia,  who  himself  made  a  trip  to  Germany  at  that 
time.  Later  on  I  sent  a  letter,  dated  February  26,  1737,  and 
again  on  March  10  and  11,  1738."-  These  last  two  letters  I 
handed  to  said  Mr.  Ulrich,  who  assures  me  that  he  sent  them 
over  every  time  through  Captain  Stattmann.  Therein  I  re- 
ported submissively,  according  to  my  ability  as  formerly, 
everything  which  was  required  of  me  and  what  I  considered 
necessary.  But  since  the  19th  of  October,  1731,  I  have  not 
received  an  answer  from  the  Reverend  Classis  and  a  comfort 
in  my  deplorable  and  sad  condition.  Wherefore  I  had  fears 
that  either  my  submissive  reports  or  otherwise  your  gracious 
answers  had  gone  astray.  But  since  his  Reverence,  Mr.  Dorsius, 
at  his  first  arrival  in  Philadelphia,  in  the  fall  of  1737,  assured 
me  that  now  all  in  Holland  were  united  to  assist  in  putting  the 
Reformed  Church  in  Pennsylvania  into  a  good  condition  and 
in  maintaining  her  therein,  and  since  I  myself  then  saw  these 
letters  from  the  two  Christian  Synods,  I  could  not  think  other- 
wise but  that  the  Reverend  Classis  had  employed  sufficient 

'"Casper  Ulrich  was  naturalized  in  1734.  (See  Pa.  Archives, 
2nd  Series,  Vol.  VII,  p.  116.)  He  signed  his  will  November  22,  1751. 
It  was  probated  December  10,  1751.  He  left  his  property  to  his  wife, 
Eva,  a  son,  Philip,  and  a  daughter,  who  was  the  widow  of  Thomas 
Rutter.    See  Register  of  Wills  office,  Philadelphia,  Will  Book,  I,  p.  451. 

^^  None  of  these  letters,  except  the  last,  ever  reached  the  au- 
thorities in  Holland.    They  are  not  referred  to  in  the  Classical  Minutes. 


264  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

diligence  to  advance  the  best  interests  of  the  Church  of 
Christ.  I,  therefore,  considered  myself  in  duty  bound  to  help 
in  the  work  of  the  Lord,  according  to  my  ability.  For  I  have 
suffered  many  external  and  internal  afflictions  since  our  true 
worship  has  been  established  in  this  country  through  God's  holy 
providence  and  grace  and  I,  poor  servant  of  Christ,  had  to  be 
the  first  burden-bearer,  as  is  sufficiently  known  to  the  Reverend 
Classis.  But  now  the  ice  is  broken  and  this  only  is  wanting,  to 
see  the  different  posts  manned  by  good  watchmen  who  will  con- 
tinue to  work,  seek  the  lost  and  observe  faithfully  whatever 
else  the  Reverend  Church  Fathers,  as  God's  servants,  shall  or- 
dain for  the  extension  of  the  Church  of  Christ. 

His  Reverence,  Mr.  Dorsius,  whom  the  Christian  Synods 
have  now  been  pleased  to  appoint  as  superintendent  of  our 
true  Church  in  Pennsylvania,  shows  indeed  a  real  zeal  faith- 
fully to  do  all  he  can  for  the  Church  of  Jesus  in  this  country. 
To  this  end  God  has  blessed  him  with  wisdom.  May  the  God 
of  all  strength  further  increase  in  his  Reverence  this  zeal  and 
wisdom,  so  that,  as  a  true  instrument  [in  God's  hand],  he  may 
serve  our  true  Church  untiringly,  with  manly  steadfastness,  to 
the  praise  of  God  and  the  increase  of  the  Kingdom  of  our 
Redeemer.  I  have  no  doubt,  but  firmly  believe,  that  thereby, 
with  the  help  of  the  Lord,  the  Church  of  Christ  in  this  country 
will  soon  be  brought  to  a  glorious  increase  and  beautiful  pros- 
perity. 

Very  Reverend  Classis,  since  his  Reverence,  Mr.  Dorsius,  is 
not  yet  sufficiently  acquainted  with  all  the  conditions  here,  I 
have  given  him  a  provisional  division  of  'the  German  preach- 
ing places,  showing  how  they  may  be  served  most  conveniently 
in  six  charges.  With  reference  to  my  congregation  at  Weit- 
marge,^^^  I  proposed  to  him  to  unite  it  with  Germandon,  for 
Weitmarge  is  a  very  small  congregation  and  on  account  of  its 
location  no  growth  can  be  expected.  Moreover,  Weitmarge  is 
only  four  English  miles  from  Germandon,  and  the  largest  part 
[of  the  members]  hardly  half  that  distance  and  sixteen  miles 
from  Schip  Bach,  and  I  would  be  satisfied  to  retain  Schip  Bach 
and  Falkner  Schwam  alone,  which  aflPord  enough  work  for  a 
minister. 

"'For  the  history  of  Whitemarsh.  see  p.  o8f. 


LETTER  OF  1730  265 

This,  Reverend  Classis,  I  did  not  do  because  I  underesti- 
mate the  duties  which  I  owe  to  this  congregation,  but  for  the 
sake  of  the  comfort  and  welfare  of  ministers  and  congregations, 
nor  will  I  leave  Weitmarge  until  the  Reverend  Church  Fathers 
approve  and  order  it. 

I  shall  now  take  the  liberty  to  make  a  brief  statement  with 
regard  to  the  place  bought  at  Schip  Bach,  because  I  fear,  as 
stated  above,  that  my  submissive  reports  did  not  reach  their 
destination. 

It  is  the  most  convenient  place  for  congregational  services 
at  Schip  Bach,  where  we  can  have  in  one  plot  everything  that 
a  congregation  needs.  There  are  150  acres  of  land,  of  which 
about  60  are  under  cultivation.  A  well-built  house  and  a  barn 
are  on  it,  which  buildings  may  have  cost  100  pounds.  An 
orchard  has  also  been  planted. 

I,  together  with  the  elders  of  the  congregation,  bought 
this  place,  in  the  month  of  August,  1735,  at  public  auction, 
for  220  pounds. ^^^  The  conditions  were  that  we  pay  50  pounds 
in  the  following  fall,  namely  November  16,  1736,  and  then  an- 
nually 15  pounds  together  with  the  interest  on  the  remaining 
capital.  But  when  the  time  came  I  could  not  get  anything 
from  the  poor  people,  but  the  time  was  at  hand.  Then  by 
necessity  I  traveled  with  an  elder  to  New  York.  There  they 
made  many  excuses  on  account  of  their  own  debts.  However, 
we  received,  through  the  instrumentality  of  the  Reverend 
Ministers  of  New  York  and  Long  Island,  44  pounds  from 
liberal  hearts.  I  suppose  they  have  notified  the  Reverend 
Classis  about  this.  In  addition  they  contributed  a  little  for  my 
household,  since  I  have  no  salary  and  my  poor  condition  is 
well  known  to  them. 

When  I  came  home  again,  conditions  were  so  bad  that  I 
had  to  add  from  my  own  money  what  was  wanting,  of  which 
five  Pounds  have  not  been  returned  to  me  up  to  date.  I  hoped 
to  receive  some  collections  at  Philadelphia  and  elsewhere. 
I  tried  first  Philadelphia,  but  did  not  get  more  than  about 
eight  Pounds.  But  the  ridicule  and  derision,  to  which  I  had 
to  listen  from  outsiders,  hurt  me  very  much.    I  was,  therefore, 

^"For  this  transaction,  see  the  history  of  the  Skippack  church, 
o.  60. 


266  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

compelled  to  desist.  In  the  country  I  could  not  do  anything, 
the  people  are  altogether  too  poor.  Hence  we  were  hardly 
able  to  raise  the  interest,  for  the  time  that  had  passed,  where- 
fore we  were  obliged  to  lease  the  place  for  ten  pounds  annually, 
with  the  provision  that  we  are  to  be  permitted  to  hold  services 
in  the  barn  every  four  weeks,  for  we  have  no  other  place 
where  we  could  do  it.  Thus  we  have  at  present  still  170  pounds 
to  pay,  nor  do  I  know  how  we  can  retain  the  place  any  longer 
without  help.  But  now  land  becomes  so  scarce  and  expensive, 
that  at  Schip  Bach  one  can  hardly  buy  100  acres  of  woodland 
for  100  pounds. 

Now,  as  this  burden  is  resting  upon  me  and  two  of  my 
brethren,^^'  since  we  are  responsible  for  it,  I  heartily  long  for 
kind  help,  without  which  it  will  be  impossible  for  us  to  retain 
the  place. 

Very  Reverend  Classis,  I  have  not  received  any  benefit 
from  it,  but  only  trouble  and  annoyance  and  in  addition  ex- 
penses. For  thus  far  I  have  lived  on  my  own  place  with  debts 
and  must  support  myself  and  my  family  with  the  work  of  my 
hands.  I  cannot  say  that  I  have  an  annual  income  of  10  pounds 
for  my  troublesome  labor  and  service,  and  the  Reverend  Classis 
knows  how  long  I  have  worked  in  my  service. 

Very  Reverend  Classis.  your  most  submissive,  humblest 
and  lowliest  fellow-servant,  who  in  spite  of  all  will  not  allow 
any  zeal  and  faithfulness  to  be  lacking  in  his  service  of  the  Lord, 
as  long  as  he  lives  and  God  gives  him  strength,  prays  for  God's 
sake  that,  because  of  your  abundant  resources,  you  will  re- 
member your  needy  servant  of  Christ  with  your  gracious  inter- 
cession, and  render  him  happy  with  a  fitting  answer  as  to  what 
he  shall  do  in  the  aforesaid  afifair.  The  rewarder  of  all  good 
deeds  will  bless  you  manifold  for  it  in  body  and  soul. 

To  Him,  our  good  God  and  Heavenly  Father,  and  to  the 
Word  of  Grace  I  devoutly  commend 

The  Very  Reverend  Classis,  your  reverend  persons  with  all 

"'These  two  brethren  were,  according  to  the  deed  (see  p.  60), 
Gabriel  Shuler  and  Ulrich  Stephen.  For  Gabriel  Schueler  (Shuler) 
see  p.  25.  John  Ulrich  Stephen  appears  as  John  Stephen  Ulrich  in  the 
petition  of  July,  1728,  see  p.  109.  He  resided  in  Salford  township,  see 
Rupp,  Thirty  Thousand  Names,  p.  476. 


LETTER  OF  1739  267 

your  families  and  holy  service, 

Very  Reverend  Classis, 
Your  most  humble  and  obedient  servant  and  lowliest  fellow- 
brother  in  Christ, 

JoHAN  Ph.  Boehm, 
Minister  of  the   Congregations  of  Falkncr  Schzvam,   Schip- 

hach  and  Weitmarge. 
Witpen  Township,  Philadelphia  County, 
Pennsylvania,  March  i6,  1739. 

Postscript. 

Very  Reverend  Classis: — 

After  finishing  my  submissive  letter  I  was  informed  by  a 
member  of  the  congregation  at  Philadelphia  that  last  fall 
another  very  antagonistic  letter^^*'  was  written  by  some  persons 
at  Philadelphia,  who,  since  the  congregation  has  come  under 
our  Church  Order,  constantly  strive  to  divide  it  and  throw  it 
into  confusion.  It  was  sent  by  one  of  them  to  the  Christian 
Synods.  They  had  signed  this  letter  as  elders  and  deacons  of 
the  Reformed  congregation  at  Philadelphia.  However,  an  in- 
vestigation would  again  show  that  this  is  a  dishonorable  false- 
hood. Its  motive  is  simply  this,  because  they  (as  they  have 
been  named  to  me)  are  almost  all  such  men,  who,  according  to 
articles  ten  and  fourteen  of  our  Church  Order  cannot  be 
counted  as  members  of  the  congregation,  much  less  could  they 
be  admitted  to  the  Lord's  Supper,  until  they  promise  and  show 
amendment  of  life.  Hence  they  rave  thus.  They  will  not  ad- 
mit that  anyone  has  a  right  to  speak  to  them  about  their 
wicked  life,  but  they  want  to  play  the  master. 

Concerning  the  said  letter,  a  member  of  the  congregation 
told  me  that  a  Lutheran,  against  whom  they  had  not  guarded 
themselves,  had  told  him  that  he  had  been  in  the  room,  had 
heard  the  reading  and  had  seen  the  signing  of  the  letter  and 
had  understood  from  it  that  they  had  most  thoroughly  de- 
nounced Boehm  and  his  work,  and  that,  if  the  Christian  Synods 
should  send  any  gifts  to  the  congregation,  they  should  direct 
them  to  their  address. 

''*  See  above,  p.  261,  and  note  128,  p.  261.  The  elders  of  Boehm 
defended  him  against  these  accusations  on  May  3,  1741,  see  below, 
pp.  311-317. 


268  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

In  opposition  to  this  I  affirm,  on  my  oath,  that  the  congre- 
gation at  Philadelphia  though  poor,  is  yet  in  a  good,  orderly 
and  peaceful  condition.  I  have  served  this  congregation  as  its 
accepted  minister  since  the  month  of  August,  1734,  in  accord- 
ance with  our  Church  Order.  I  have  held  divine  service  there 
one  Sunday  each  month.  When  I  administered  the  Lord's 
Supper  there  on  the  loth  of  September,  1738,  there  were  75 
communicants  present.  I  do  not  intend  to  leave  this  good 
congregation,  until,  through  the  gracious  providence  of  God 
and  through  the  Reverend  Church  Fathers,  they  have  been  sup- 
plied with  their  own  minister.  Then  I  shall  willingly  leave 
the  congregation  to  him,  according  to  the  agreement  I  entered 
into  with  the  congregation  at  the  beginning.  I  heartily  wish 
that  the  good  Lord  may  graciously  send  one  soon,  as  it  is  very 
hard  for  me  to  supply  so  much,  for  I  am  getting  old  and  my 
body  is  becoming  weaker. 

I  also  wish  that  the  elders  might  be  required  to  testify 
concerning  this.  They  would  be  obliged  to  say,  that  they  could 
not  make  an  estimate  that  I  had  received  more  than  ten  pounds 
for  all  my  hard  work  during  all  this  time,  partly  on  account  of 
the  poverty  of  the  people,  partly  because  of  the  trouble-makers, 
who  would  have  liked  to  see  me  proceed  with  harshness  with 
the  result  that  the  congregation  would  have  been  destroyed.  I 
was,  therefore,  obliged  to  act  very  carefully  and  cautiously,  in. 
order  to  keep  the  united  members  together. 

Now,  if  the  Reverend  Classis  should  receive  such  a  letter, 
its  truthfulness  can  be  tested  by  the  signatures  of  the  people, 
for  the  names  of  the  members  of  the  consistory,  at  present  in 
office,  who  were  installed  by  me  according  to  the  Church  Order, 
are  as  follows : 


Casper  Ulrich, 
Nicolaus  Ewig,^'^ 
Bernard  Sigmund, 
John  Wendel  Brechbill, 


Elders. 


"'  Nicolaus  Ewig,  from  Wachterstach,  Germany,  qualified  in 
Philadelphia  September  19,  1732.  In  April,  1734,  he  signed  the  call 
of  Boehm,  extended  to  him  by  the  Philadelphia  congregation.  He  died 
in  Philadelphia,  March  29,  174?*,  aged  seventy-three  years.  (Taken 
from  Church  Record  of  First  Reformed  Church,  Philadelphia.) 


LETTER  OF  1740  269 

Jacob  Walter,  )  _. 

John  Gebha.d.-  |  Deacons. 

To  add  this  for  the  information  of  the  Reverend  of  the 
Reverend  Classis,  I  regard  as  serviceable  and  as  my  duty. 
March  i8,  1739.  Boehm. 


[XXVI.    MR.    BOEHM   TO   THE   CLASSIS   OF   AMSTERDAM, 
MARCH  26,  1740.""] 

Very    Reverend     Classis,    Reverend     and     Devout     Church 

Fathers: — 

Your  most  devoted  servant  rendered  and  sent  a  very  sub- 
missive report  to  the  Reverend  Classis  on  March  16,  1739. 
But  since  it  is  to  be  feared  that  it  has  not  reached  its  destina- 
tion, I  again  enclose  a  copy  of  it  and  submissively  direct  your 
attention  to  all  that  is  contained  therein. 

I  also  consider  myself  in  duty  bound  to  give  the  Reverend 
Classis  a  full  and  true  account  of  all  that  was  reported  therein 
and  what  further  happened  until  now.  This  is  contained  in 
accompanying  copies,  marked  A,  B,  C,  D,  [E],  and  also  in  the 
enclosed  summary  of  the  pledges  of  each  congregation  towards 
a  contribution  for  the  ministers'  salaries  and  lastly  in  the  addi- 
tional report. 

The  Reverend  Classis  is  surely  not  unfamiliar  with  what  the 
Christian  Synods  are  said  to  have  resolved  concerning  the  send- 
ing of  necessary  ministers  to  this  country.  Hence  I  felt  the 
greatest  anxiety  lest  the  reports,  which  I  had  handed  to  In- 
spector Dorsius  (and  with  which  I  trust  he  observed  all  neces- 
sary care)  had  been  lost  by  accident  or  in  some  other  way 
and  thus  through  loss  of  time  the  work  of  the  Lord  might  suffer 
a  disastrous  check.  Besides  considering  it  my  duty,  I  also  sent 
the  duplicates,  in  order  that,  if  they  were  not  received  at  both 
places,  they  might  reach  the  Reverend  Church  Fathers  at  least 
in  one  place  and  give  them  a  clear  insight  into  our  condition 
here. 

'^AU  these  names,  except  the  last,  are  found  attached  to  the 
call,  given  to  Boehm  by  the  Philadelphia  congregation  on  April  20, 
1734,  see  p.  2.33f. 

""The  original  German  letter  is  in  the  Classical  Archives. 


270  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

The  condition  of  our  true  church  and  the  ways  of  the 
people  are  so  well  known  to  me  that  my  eyes  will  be  awake  in 
sohcitude  and  my  heart  will  not  cease  sighing  to  God  for  His 
gracious  help,  for  what  could  be  considered  greater  than  to 
preserve  dear  souls  from  destruction  and  torment.  But  if  it 
should  continue  long  that  the  people  would  have  to  be  without 
ministers,  having  renounced  now  disorder  and  having  promised 
to  wait,  what  disorder  would  Satan  not  try  to  stir  up  again 
through  the  sects,  and  even  through  those,  who  among  them- 
selves are  to  be  found  as  the  most  wicked  men,  that  have  ever 
practiced  it?  The  disorder  would  be  worse  than  it  ever  was 
before. 

All  good  manner  [of  procedure]  is  employed  by  his  Rev- 
erence, Inspector  Dorsius.  His  Reverence  handles  affairs  in  so 
friendly  and  careful  a  manner,  that  my  heart  rejoices  over  it. 
Yet  the  ill  manners  of  some  proud  and  stubborn  people,  caused 
by  the  prevailing  liberty,  have  already  made  him  very  indignant. 
However,  it  is  only  necessary  to  give  them  no  audience  and  to 
silence  the  audacious  Reiflf.  Then  soon  all  would  change,  for 
there  are  only  a  few  of  them  and  Reiff  is  always  the  instigator. 
Yet  they  always  try,  when  they  put  out  a  lying  report,  to  make 
their  number  appear  large  through  signatures,  as  they  did  on 
March  23rd  last,  when  they  signed  a  letter  in  Reiff's  Church 
and,  as  is  reported,  had  all  the  servants  and  boys  sign  it.  What 
their  object  was  in  doing  it,  is  unknown  to  me. 

Very  Reverend  Classis,  it  pleased  the  Christian  Synods  to 
give  a  power  of  attorney  to  Inspector  Dorsius  and  Dr.  Die- 
mer,^*"  with  regard  to  the  money  collected  by  Do.  Weiss  and 
ReifT.  But  thus  far  I  have  not  noticed  that  any  important  steps 
in  this  case  were  taken.  However,  I  know  that  Reiff  only 
laughs  at  it.  It  is  very  sad  that  the  poor  congregations  are  in 
such  misery,  as  has  been  stated  repeatedly  and  that  the  money, 
given  out  of  love  to  them,  should  remain  so  long  in  the  hands 
of  such  wicked  men,  who  have  practiced  usury  with  it  thus  far, 
while  great  help  could  be  gained  from  it.  With  it  we  could 
retain  the  beautiful  and  useful  place  at  Schip  Bach,  but  if  it 

""The  authorization,  given  to  Dorsius  and  Diemer  to  prosecute 
ReifiF,  was  contained  in  a  letter  of  Deputy  Ernst  E.  Probsting,  dated 
May  3,  1739.  It  is  mentioned  in  a  letter  of  Diemer,  dater  November 
18,  1742.     The  latter  is  in  The  Hague  .'\rchives,  74,  I,  38. 


LETTER  OF   1740  271 

lasts  long,  I  and  my  brethren  cannot  keep  it  any  more,  fcr 
they  now  want  the  capital,  of  which  since  1735  annually  fifteen 
pounds  should  have  been  paid.  But  we  had  enough  to  do  to 
pay  the  interest.  Now,  if  they  are  in  earnest,  as  we  fear,  then 
we  shall  be  unavoidably  compelled  to  sell  the  place  again,  for 
the  obedient  part  of  the  congregation  is  small  and  poor.  This 
would  be  a  great  loss  to  the  congregation. 

Concerning  Dr.  Diemer,  I  am  very  much  surprized,  yet  I 
have  no  right  to  speak  [complain].  For  I  cannot  believe  that 
the  affair  will  go  as  it  ought.  Time  will  show,  as  I  believe. 
Something  may  also  be  learned  from  a  perusal  of  the  reports 
from  Pennsylvania,  in  which  everything  is  truthfully  recorded. 
I  shall  hope  for  the  best  and  herewith  repeat  my  former  peti- 
tions. 

Commending  the  Very  Reverend  Classis  together  with  all 
their  families  and  holy  services  to  God  and  the  Word  of  His 
grace. 

I  continue  to  remain  as  long  as  I  live, 

Very  Reverend  Classis, 
Your  submissive  and  obedient   servant  and  humblest   fellow 

brother  in  Jesus,  Johan  Ph.  BoEhm. 

Minister  of  the   Congregations  of  Falckner  Schwam,   Schip 

Bach  and  Weitmargc. 
Pennsylvania,    Philadelphia    County, 
Witpen  Township,  March  26,  1740. 

[As  stated  above,  this  letter  was  accompanied  by  the  fol- 
lowing enclosure :] 


ENCLOSURE  A. 

[REV.  P.  H.  DORSIUS  TO  MR.  BOEHM,  NOVEMBER  28,  1738.] 

Do.  J.  P.  Boehm,  minister  at  Schipbach  etc.,  is  requested  by  me 
the  subscriber,  as  deputy  and  inspector  of  the  Pennsylvania  German 
Reformed  churches,  to  give  a  report  of  the  following: 

(1)  How  many  German  Reformed  congregations  are  there  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  how  far  are  they  from  each  other? 

(2)  How  many  elders,  deacons  and  communicants  are  there  in 
each  of  his  congregations  and  how  many  congregations  are  served  by 
him? 


272  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

(3)     How  is  each  congregation  supplied  with  schoolmasters  and 
precentors? 

P.  H.  DoRSius. 
Bucks  County, 

November  28,  1738. 


ENCLOSURE  B. 

[REPORT  OF  MR.  BOEHM  TO  THE  CLASSIS  OF  AMSTER- 
DAM, JANUARY  14,  1739.'"] 

After  his  Reverence,  Mr.  P.  H.  Dorsius,  minister  at  Ja- 
mine  [Neshaminy]  in  Bucks  County,  Pennsylvania,  had  shown 
to  me,  the  undersigned,  on  the  28th  of  November,  1738,  in  his 
house  at  Jamine  [Neshaminy],  the  letters  sent  to  his  Reverence 
by  the  two  Christian  Synods  of  North  and  South  Holland,  and 
after  he  had  read  to  me  that  the  two  Christian  Synods,  for  the 
sake  of  convenience,  had  authorized  and  ordained  him  as  in- 
spector of  the  Pennsylvania  Reformed  congregations,  his  Rev- 
erence requested  me  to  give  a  report  on  the  following  questions : 

1.  How  many  German  Reformed  congregations  are  there 
in  Pennsylvania  and  how  far  are  they  from  each  other  ? 

2.  How  many  elders,  deacons  and  communicants  are  there 
in  each  congregation  and  how  many  are  served  by  me  ? 

3.  How  each  congregation  is  supplied  with  schoolmasters 
and  precentors  ? 

Therefore  I  have  considered  myself  under  obligation  to 
give  his  Reverence  a  dutiful  specification  and  to  make  a  full 
report  concerning  all  other  questions. 

[l.      CONGREGATIONS.] 

As  far  as  I  know  the  congregations  of  the  High  German 
Reformed  people  in  Pennsylvania"-  are  these: 

[i].  Falkner  Schwam.  In  this  congregation  there  are 
always  four  elders  and  two  deacons.  The  Lord's  Supper  is 
administered  twice  a  year.  The  communicants  on  September 
17,    1738    [numbered] 89. 

'"  A  copy  of  this  report  was  sent  to  the  Synods  also,  now  at  The 
Hague,  74,  I,  27. 

'"^  For  the  history  of  these  congregations,  see  above,  pp.  58-81. 


LETTER  OF   1740  273 

[2].  Schip  Bach.  (About  twelve  English  miles  from  Falk- 
ner  Schwam).  In  this  congregation  the  same  custom  [as  to 
elders  and  deacons]  prevails  and  it  is  treated  like  the  last  [as 
to  the  Lord's  Supper].     There  communed  on  September  24, 

1738      36. 

[3].  Weitmarge.  About  sixteen  English  miles  from  Schip 
Bach.  This  Weitmarge  [Whitemarsh]  is  not  more  than  four 
English  miles  from  Germandon.  Most  of  the  people  live  still 
nearer  and  are  about  ten  miles  from  Philadelphia.  These 
three  congregations  are  served  by  Boehm  as  their  regular  min- 
ister. In  this  congregation  there  are  only  two  elders  and  two 
deacons,  on  account  of  the  small  number  of  members,  but  as 
to  the  rest  [the  Lord's  Supper]  the  same  custom  prevails  as  in 
the  above  congregations.  There  communed  on  September  3, 
1738 29. 

N.  B.  With  regard  to  the  congregation  at  Schip  Bach  it 
ought  to  be  mentioned,  that  it  is  so  weak  because  for  a  con- 
siderable time  one  after  another  has  maintained  the  confusion 
caused  by  Do.  Weis  in  the  year  1728,  which  Henry  Goetschi 
still  continues  at  this  time.  He  preaches  to  the  followers  of 
Reiff,  however  few  there  may  be  of  them,  as  if  he  were  a 
regular  minister.  Still  another,  by  the  name  of  John  William 
Straub,  has  undertaken  to  officiate  as  minister  in  all  things, 
through  which  a  considerable  number  of  people  have  been 
drawn  away  from  the  congregation.  Otherwise  it  would  be 
again  as  strong. 

[4].  Philadelphia.  (It  is  served  by  Boehm.  It  is  six 
English  miles  from  Gennandon.)  This  congregation  accepted, 
in  the  month  of  July,  1734,  the  constitution,  which  is  among 
the  Pennsylvania  documents  of  the  Very  Reverend  Classis  of 
Amsterdam,  and  which  is  in  use  here  [in  Pennsylvania].  The 
congregation  has  thus  far  been  served  by  John  Philip  Boehm, 
whom  they  accepted  as  their  regular  pastor.  He  holds  services 
in  this  congregation  every  four  weeks.  On  September  10,  1738, 
the  communicants  present  were 75. 

[5].  Germandon.  With  this  congregation  I  have  had  no 
personal  relations,  nor  have  I  any  exact  knowledge  about  its 
condition  because,  although  it  was  often  proposed  to  them,  they 
were  never  willing  to  submit  to  any  Church  Order.  Yet  this 
much  is  known  to  me.  because  I  asked  two  of  the  elders,  Minch 


274  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

[Meng]"^  and  Benzel/"  that  in  the  month  of  September,  1734, 
about  thirty  communicants  were  present.  Since  then  John 
Bechtel  has  preached  for  them  and  has  undertaken  to  adminis- 
ter the  sacraments.  Then  they  also  allowed  the  old  Guide 
[Guldin]^*^  to  preach  in  their  church.  Now  the  Lutherans  also 
make  use  of  it,  and  thus  the  Reformed  people  there  are  at 
present  in  a  rather  poor  condition. 

[6].  Cannastocka  [Conestoga].  This  place  is  very  far 
away,  a  distance  of  more  than  seventy  miles  from  Philadelphia. 
The  Reformed  people  there  have  in  fact  organized  themselves 
into  three  congregations.  The  first  which  was  started  I  call 
the  Hill  Church.^*^  It  lies  in  the  center.  I  served  this  con- 
gregation in  agreement  with  their  call  (which  was  to  visit  them 
twice  a  year)  on  October  15,  1727.  Ac  this  was  the  first  time 
that  a  [Reformed]  communion  service  was  ever  celebrated  in 
Cannastocka,  there  were  present  fifty-nine  communicants.  But 
these  visits  were  made  only  a  few  times.  Then  Do.  Weis 
slandered  me  in  this  congregation  by  a  very  abusive  letter 
(which  I  have  in  my  possession)."^  He  thereby  misled  them 
and  drew  the  congregation  to  himself.  But  soon  afterwards 
he  left  them  again.  Whereupon  Miller  went  there  to  carry  on 
the  work  of  Weis.  At  that  time  Miller  drew  also  Dolpihacken 
[Tulpehocken]  to  himself.  I  warned  them  afterwards  often 
against  this  false  spirit,  but  the  misguided  and  simple-minded 

"^  John  Christopher  Meng,  from  Mannheim,  Germany,  arrived 
in  Philadelphia,  August  24,  1728.  By  trade  he  was  a  mason.  In  1734, 
he  paid  quit-rent  on  15  acres  of  land  in  Germantown.  His  home 
above  Chelton  Ave.,  Germantown,  is  the  building  lately  occupied  by 
Mr.  Oliver  Jester  as  a  tin  shop.  See  Dr.  Keyser's  description  of  the 
house  in  Old  Historic  Germantown  (Proceedings  of  Pa.  German  So- 
ciety, Vol.  XV  (1904),  p.  24f. 

'"John  George  Benzel  (Bentzel)  was  naturalized  in  1730  (see 
Rupp,  Thirty  Thousand  Names,  p.  435).  In  1734  he  owned  and  paid 
quit-rent  on  15  acres  of  land  in  Germantown  (see  Rupp,  1.  c,  p.  473). 
His  house,  which  stands  on  the  north  corner  of  Upsal  and  IMain  Streets, 
Germantown,  was  built  by  him  in  1727.  In  1788,  it  was  purchased  by 
Michael  Billmeyer,  a  Germantown  printer.     See  Keyser,  1.  c,  p.  32. 

'"For  Rev.  Samuel  Guldin,  the  earliest  Reformed  minister  in 
Pennsylvania,  see  note  132,  p.  I*i7. 

''•This  church  is  identical  with  Heller's  Church  in  Upper  Lea- 
cock  township,  Lancaster  County.     For  its  history,  see  pp.  62-05. 

'"Printed  above,  pp.  212-214. 


LETTER  OF  1740  275 

people  clung  to  him,  until  finally  the  deception,  with  regard  to 
which  I  had  so  faithfully  warned  them,  came  to  light  and  this 
Miller  publicly  went  over  to  the  evil  sect  of  the  Seventh  Day 
"Tumplers"  [Dunkers]  and  was  baptized  in  Dunker  fashion 
at  Cannastocka  in  the  month  of  April,  1735.^**  He  took  with 
him  about  10  families,  Reformed  and  Lutheran,  from  the  con- 
gregation at  Dolpihacken,  who  did  as  he  did."° 

This  caused  a  great  alarm  among  the  congregations.  Those 
who  were  kept  by  God  sent  therefore  messengers  and  letters  to 
me  and  once  more  asked  for  help,  which  I  did  not  dare  to  re- 
fuse. I  went  to  them  again,  and  there  were,  on  May  11,  1735, 
in  the  said  first  congregation  or  Hill  Church,  at  Cannastocka, 
communicants     92. 

On  the  same  journey  I  administered  the  Lord's  Supper, 
at  their  own  request,  in  the  second  congregation  (the  name  of 
the  place  is  Cocollica  [Cocalico]),^^°  which  had  been  gathered 
previously.     There  were  present,  as  communicants 60. 

But  as  regards  the  third  congregation  in  Cannastocka,  which 
has  been  gathered  in  the  new  town  called  Lancaster,^"  I  have 

"'  Miller  himself  stated  repeatedly  that  this  baptism  took  place 
in  May,  1735.  See  Ephrata  Chronicle,  Engl.  Transl.,  p.  73 ;  also  Miller's 
letter  of  December  5,  1790,  quoted  above,  note  117,  p.  254f. 

"'  Another  account  of  Miller's  conversion  was  given  by  Boehm 
in  his  book,  "Faithful  Warning,"  published  in  1742,  see  below,  p.  353f. 

"°  Cocalico,  so  named  after  the  Cocalico  Creek,  is  now  Bethany, 
at  Ephrata,  Lancaster  County. 

"'  The  first  reference  to  the  Reformed  congregation  in  Lancaster, 
is  found  in  a  letter  of  Conrad  Tempelman,  written  on  February  13, 
1733,  to  the  Synods  of  Holland.  It  is  printed  in  part,  p.  62ff.  In  it  the 
number  of  members  is  given  as  thirty.  The  congregation  must  have 
originated  between  1730-1732.  Its  elders  in  1733  were  John  Jacob  Hook 
and  Andrew  Halsbrun.  The  first  church  record  of  the  congregation 
was  opened  in  1736.  It  presents  the  following  historical  statement 
regarding  the  first  church  building  and  the  first  pastor:  "Now  as  re- 
gards the  building  of  our  church,  the  beginning  was  made  in  the  year 
1736,  and  by  the  help  of  God  it  was  so  far  completed  that  on  the 
20th  of  June,  or  upon  the  festival  of  Holy  Whitsuntide,  we  held  di- 
vine services  in  it  for  the  first  time.  The  teacher,  preacher  and  pastor, 
called  to  this  office  of  God,  was  the  reverend  and  truly  pious  John 
Jacob  Hock.  Guided  by  God's  Spirit,  he  chose  as  his  introduction 
[reading  lesson]  the  words  in  the  prophecy  of  Isaiah,  in  the  3oth  chap- 
ter, and  the  first  verse :  'The  wilderness  and  the  solitary  places  shall 
be  glad   for  them  !     And  the  desert  shall  rejoice  and  blossom   as  the 


ica 


276  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

no  information,  for  up  to  this  time  they  have  acted  according 
to  their  own  pleasure.  They  have  never  cared  for  church  order, 
but  thus  far  have  allowed  themselves  to  be  served  by  irregular 
men.  However,  I  hear  that  it  is  a  pretty  strong  congregation. 
These  three  places  in  Cannastocka  are  situated  as  follows : 

Lancaster  |=°""'™'d  ■  I  Hill  Church  \  ^'^  ^"^"*  I  CocoUi 
[  SIX  miles  to  j  (^      miles  to    J 

[7].  Dolpihacken.  From  Cannastocka  it  is  about  eighteen 
English  miles  to  Dolpihacken.  Served  by  Boehm.  This  place 
is  probably  nearly  as  far  from  Philadelphia  as  Cannastocka.' 
Both  are  situated  towards  northwest.  It  is  a  pretty  large 
place,  and  the  congregation  there  has  also  contemplated  a 
division.  But  it  seems  to  me  to  be  more  advisable  to  have  a 
meeting  place  in  the  center,  as  it  was  in  the  beginning.  With 
this  plan  the  majority  agree,  even  those  who  live  at  the  great- 
est distance  from  the  center.  Then  the  minister  could  supply 
the  neighboring  places,  where  already  many  people  live,  and 
where  still  more  are  gathering,  at  the  times  appointed  to  serve 
them,  as  it  might  be  arranged  later. 

Some  years  ago  it  seemed  that  Cannastocka  and  Dolpi- 
hacken could  be  served  with  difficulty,  but  if  necessary  by  one 

rose.'  The  text  itself  [of  the  sermon]  was  the  latter  clause  of  the 
4th  verse  of  the  103rd  Psalm :  'Who  crowneth  thee  with  loving 
kindness  and  tender  mercies.'  And  we  joined  with  each  other  in  sing- 
ing the  84th  Psalm.  As  regards  the  election  of  the  first  elders  of  the 
church,  John  Henry  Bassler,  Felix  Miiller,  John  Corner,  and  Peter 
Dorr,  were  elected  by  the  congregation  and  declared  duly  qualified. 
It  was  resolved  at  the  same  time  that  two  should  withdraw  annually 
and  that  again  other  two  should  be  elected  in  their  places;  accordingly 
at  the  expiration  of  the  first  year,  John  Henry  Bassler  and  Peter  Dorr 
retired  and  Peter  Balspach  and  Frederick  Strubel  were  elected  in  their 
places ;  which  order  it  is  now  our  intention  to  follow  as  long  as  the 
good  God  in  His  grace  shall  keep  us  together.  We  hope  also  that 
those  who  shall  come  after  us,  into  whose  hands  this  book  shall  fall, 
will  continue  to  do  the  same,  in  order  that  the  praise  and  honor  and 
glory  of  God  may  be  advanced  day  by  day,  the  longer  the  more. 
Amen.  The  first  deacons  elected  were  John  Kaller  and  John  Stephen 
Rammerstberger."  See  History  of  the  First  Reformed  Chtirch,  Lan- 
caster, Pa.,  by  W.  Stuart  Cramer,  1904,  pp.  8-12.  John  Jacob  Hock 
served  the  congregation  from  June,  1736,  to  October,  1737.  In  April, 
1739,  John  Bartholomew  Rieger  became  pastor  of  the  congregation. 
He  served  it  till  February,  1743. 


LETTER  OF  1740  277 

minister.  But  since  then  both  have  spread  to  such  an  extent 
that  it  is  impossible  for  one  minister  to  serve  them  as  they 
should  be.  For  this  Dolpihacken  has  much  increased  since 
Miller  has  become  such  a  disgrace.  I  travel  thither,  according 
to  their  request,  twice  a  year  and  administer  the  Lord's  Sup- 
per. On  October  19th  and  22nd  last  year  [1738],  there  were 
present  as  communicants  at  two  places^^^ 134. 

N.  B.  When  I  administered  the  Lord's  Supper  there  for 
the  first  time,  in  the  month  of  October,  1727,  at  the  same 
time  as  at  Cannastocka,  there  were  only  32  communicants.  In 
this  congregation  there  are,  in  accordance  with  our  Church 
Order,  four  elders  and  two  deacons.  Two  elders  and  one  dea- 
con go  out  of  office  regularly  every  year  and  just  as  many 
come  in,  the  same  as  in  all  the  congregations  which  I  serve. 

[8].  Goschenhoppen.  Of  this  congregation  I  know  little, 
for  it  never  wanted  to  be  under  our  Church  Order,  but  desired 
to  be  its  own  master.  When  Do.  Weis,  as  stated  above,  came 
into  the  country  and  caused  great  confusion,  they  faithfully 
adhered  to  him.  When  he  traveled  to  Holland,  in  order  to 
obtain  the  well  known  money  collected  there,  they  immediately 
clung  to  Miller,^^^  who,  assisted  by  another  person,^^*  continued 
to  serve  Goschenhoppen.  Besides,  they  kept,  by  their  services, 
the  congregation  at  Schip  Bach  in  a  state  of  continuous  restless- 
ness and  ill-feeling,  which  had  been  begun  by  Weis.  All  my 
requests,  entreaties  and  warnings  were  in  vain.  After  these 
men  had  failed,  they  arbitrarily  made  Henry  Goetschi  their  pre- 
tended minister,  when  he  was  hardly  eighteen  years  of  age  and 
but  half  a  year  before  had  received  the  Lord's  Supper  for  the 
first  time  from  Do.  Rieger  at  Germandon.^^^    Goetschi  at  once 

"*  For  the  two  Tulpehocken  churches  in  1738,  see  p.  68. 

"'  Peter  Miller  made  69  baptismal  entries  in  the  New  Goshen- 
hoppen  record,  extending  from  June,  1731,  to  July,  1734.  See  Per- 
kioinen  Region,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  94f. 

'"This  other  person  may  have  been  John  William  Straub.  See 
Boehm's  remarks  in  connection  with  Skippack,  above  p.  273. 

"'Boehm  probably  misunderstood  the  situation.  In  November, 
1736,  Goetschy  received  the  Lord's  Supper  in  the  Reformed  Church  of 
Germantown  from  the  hands  of  Rev.  J.  B.  Rieger,  and  he  joined  the 
congregation  at  the  same  time  as  a  member.  In  1744,  when  in  diffi- 
culty in  New  Jersey,  Goetschy  requested  and  received  a  certificate  from 
the  Germantown  church,  stating  that  fact.     This  certificate  is  printed 


V 


278  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

undertook  to  administer  the  Lord's  Supper,  and  to  baptize,  to 
install  elders  and  to  marn,'  people.  In  short  he  did  what  be- 
longs to  the  office  of  a  regular  minister.  Goschenhoppen  still 
has  him  at  present  as  its  preacher,  and  permits  him  to  keep  up 
and  carry  on  this  disorder  from  Goschenhoppen  as  a  center,  not 
only  at  Schip  Bach,  but  at  other  places  also.^^®  He  has  done 
this,  for  instance,  at  Oly,  where  he  misled  the  congregation, 
which  was  established  by  me  at  their  request,  and  he  now 
serves  them  also.  At  Dolpihacken  he  attempted  to  do  the  same 
through  three  uncalled-for  visits,  but  he  was  refused.  Yet  he 
does  not  discontinue  such  improper  actions. 

Meanwhile  this  Goschenhoppen  is  a  congregation  or  a 
place  where  a  faithful  shepherd  and  minister  is  greatly  needed, 
through  whose  wise  administration  a  flourishing  congregation 
ought  soon  to  be  established.  There  are  also  several  congre- 
gations near  Goschenhoppen  which  should  be  provided  for,  as 
Great  Swamp  and  Sackon  Krik  [Saucon  Creek].  These,  al- 
though they  can  be  served  by  the  minister  of  Goschenhoppen 
with  the  administration  of  the  sacraments  and  sometimes  with 
a  sermon,  yet  need  to  be  provided  with  good  readers,  who 
have  the  ability  to  catechize,  especially  at  Sackon-Krik,  because 
it  is  a  somewhat  out-of-the-way  place  and  many  Reformed 
people  live  there. 

[9].  Oly.  This  place  has  been  in  such  a  condition  since 
I  am  in  this  country  (which  is  now  eighteen  years) "^  that  it 
is  astonishing  to  hear  about  the  many  sects  among  them.  The 
worst  were  those  who  called  themselves  "The  New  Born". 
Without  hesitation  they  declared  themselves  to  be  equal  to 
God  and  greater  than  our  Saviour;  they  pretended  to  be  free 

in  Dr.  Good's  History,  p.  185.  It  does  not  state  that  this  was  the 
first  communion  service  he  had  ever  attended,  nor  was  it  probably  in- 
tended to  imply  this. 

"°  Goetschy  enumerates  the  following  eleven  preaching  places 
on  the  title  page  of  the  New  Goshenhoppen  record,  which  was  prob- 
ably written  in  173G :  Skippack,  Old  Goshenhoppen,  New  Goshen- 
hoppen, Great  Swamp,  Saucon,  Egypt,  Maxatawny,  Moselem,  Oley, 
Berne  and  Tulpehocken. 

^"  In  the  Minutes  of  Coetus,  p.  10,  the  word  "about"  was  inserted 
before  "eighteen  years,"  by  mistake.  The  German  sentence  reads 
plainly:     "Welches  nun  18  Jahrc." 


LETTER  OF  1740  279 

(from  sin),  and  more  such  things,  which  it  would  be  too 
much  to  relate  in  detail.  However,  after  God  had  removed 
such  shameless  blasphemers  of  His  name,  the  true  Christians 
met  and  desired  to  establish,  by  the  help  of  God,  a  congrega- 
tion according  to  our  true  Reformed  doctrine.  They  therefore 
applied  to  me  for  help  and  assistance  (of  which  I  have  proof). 
Whereupon  I  went  there  and  found  with  heart-felt  joy,  after  a 
careful  investigation,  a  goodly  number  of  very  eager  souls,  firm 
in  our  Reformed  doctrines.  Then  I  began  the  Lord's  work 
among  them.  I  called  the  congregation  together  and  made 
them  acquainted,  according  to  the  best  of  my  ability,  with  our 
Church  Order.  The  congregation  then  elected  four  elders  and 
two  deacons,  whom  I  installed,  according  to  the  Church  Order, 
and  in  accordance  with  the  desire  of  the  congregation,  on  No- 
vember 17,  1736.  The  congregation  then  accepted  me  to  visit 
them  twice  a  year  (during  the  week)  to  administer  the  Lord's 
Supper  and  to  baptize  their  children.  When  everything  had 
been  duly  constituted,  after  a  preparatory  service,  I  adminis- 
tered the  Lord's  Supper,  and  the  communicants  present  num- 
bered   40. 

But  scarcely  had  this  been  done,  when  Henry  Goetschi 
came  and  acted  as  above  mentioned  in  the  description  of 
Goschenhoppen.  Some  who  had  long  been  separated  from  the 
Reformed  church  and  had  had  intercourse  with  the  above 
mentioned  sects,  as  the  New  Born,  used  Goetschi  in  order  to 
create  confusion  in  the  newly  organized  congregation.  To 
make  a  beginning  they  offered  that,  if  the  congregation  would 
accept  this  Goetschi,  they  would  again  come  back  to  the  Re- 
formed Church  and  be  helpful  in  all  things.  This  pleased 
Goetschi,  who  pretended  to  have  lately  been  recognized  and 
ordained  in  Philadelphia^^®  as  a  regular  minister.  He  im- 
mediately preached  in  my  place,  and  directly  after  the  services 
baptized  a  child  before  the  congregation.  When  later  on  I 
called  the  elders  to  account  concerning  this  disorder,  they 
excused  themselves  by  saying,  they  had  not  asked  him  to  do  so; 
they  had  thought  that  he  was  ordained,  as  he  told  them,  and  he 
also  acted  as  if  I  were  satisfied  with  the  arrangement.    But  the 

"'The   Presbytery  of   Philadelphia  examined   Goetschy  in  1737, 
but  did  not  ordain  him.    See  sketch  of  his  life,  p.  52f. 


280  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

consistor>'  was  thereby  divided,  because  some  of  the  elders  and 
deacons  had  not  at  all  consented  to  let  him  preach  unless  hav- 
ing previously  spoken  to  me  about  it,  and  since  they  now 
heard  the  contrary  they  were  all  at  variance.  But  those  who 
were  led  astray  let  everything  pass,  and  Goetschi  therefore 
continued,  and  has  acted  up  to  this  time  as  if  he  were  an  or- 
dained minister.  At  present  I  do  not  know  how  things  are 
there,  but  this  much  I  know,  that  a  part  of  the  elders  and 
deacons  whom  I  installed  have  until  now  withdrawn  from  the 
work.  Nor  have  I  been  there  since,  because  there  has  been 
such  a  confusion  through  Goetschi  that  I  could  not  bring  forth 
any  fruit.  But  said  instigators  soon  withdrew  again,  and  aided 
little  towards  the  building  up  of  the  congregation. 

From  all  this  it  may  be  seen  how  necessary  it  is  that  a 
very  faithful  pastor  be  appointed  to  this  congregation,  that  he 
may  seek  the  lost  and  bring  back  those  who  have  gone  into 
error,  so  that  even  there  the  body  of  Christ  may  grow  through 
His  grace.  The  minister  of  this  congregation  can  supply  also 
the  place  which  is  called  Gaguschi  [Cacusi],"^  where  (as  I 
hear)  likewise  a  considerable  congregation  has  gathered.  This 
place  is  about  seven  or  eight  miles  from  the  center  in  Oly. 
Goetschi  has  also  presumed  for  some  time  to  serve  this  con- 
gregation with  all  the  means  of  grace.  A  minister  might  also 
at  the  same  time  serve  Maxadani  [Maxatawny],  which  is  at  a 
distance  of  ten  miles. 

These  places  above  mentioned  are  the  nine  main  congre- 
gations with  their  subordinate  preaching  places,  consisting  of 
High  German  Reformed  people,  in  Pennsylvania,  as  far  as 
they  are  known  to  me,  together  with  the  statement  how  far 
they  are  apart  from  each  other  and  whatever  other  information 
was  required.  But  whatever  God  will  permit  to  grow  in  the 
future  and  what  members  he  will  gather,  when  the  number  of 
inhabitants  increases,  is  known  to  Him  only.  However,  I 
think  that  six  ministers  would  be  sufficient  to  serve  these  con- 
gregations, 

""  Cacusi,  so  named  after  the  Cacoosing  Creek,  is  now  St.  John's 
or  Hain's  Church,  near  Wernersville,  Berks  County,  The  oldest  church 
record  of  the  congregation  calls  it  the  "Congregation  in  Heidelberg." 
It  is  located  in  Lower  Heidelberg  Township,  Berks  County.  In  Jan- 
uary, 1739,  a  little  log  church  had  been  built  there,  see  below,  p.  281. 


LETTER  OF  1740  281 

[ll.       CHURCH    BUILDINGS.] 

Now  concerning  the  church  buildings  in  all  these  con- 
gregations, there  have  been  erected  the  following  (as  far  as  I 
know) : 

Germandon.     A  well  built,  pretty  large  stone  church, 

Cannastocka.  The  Hill  congregation  has  a  small  log  church. 
The  congregation  at  Lancaster  has  also  one  of  logs.  The 
congregation  at  Cocollica  has  also  one  of  logs. 

Dolpihacken.  There  they  laid  out  a  cemetery,  but  not  in  the 
center,  and  erected  on  it  a  small  building  of  logs,  but  not 
servicable  for  public  worship. 

Goschenhoppen.  As  I  heard  from  people  that  live  there,  they 
built  a  pretty  large  church  at  that  place,  which  will  be 
sufficient  for  them  for  some  time,  but  it  is  poorly  made  of 
wood, 

Schip  Bach.  A  log  church  was  also  built  there  ten  years  ago, 
when  Do.  Weis  caused  trouble  in  this  congregation.  But 
Jacob  ReifT  caused  the  lot  on  which  the  church  stands  to 
be  transferred  to  his  name,  and  still  refuses  admission  to 
the  properly  organized  congregation.  One  irregular  min- 
ister after  another  has  permitted  himself  to  be  used  by 
Reiff  and  his  followers  to  keep  up  the  trouble  in  the  con- 
gregation. This  is  the  place  which  Goetschi  quite  irregu- 
larly still  serves,  to  the  great  hindrance  of  a  union  in  the 
congregation.  For  this  reason  the  regular  congregation 
was  obliged  to  buy  a  lot  at  Schip  Bach,  which  is  at  a  very 
convenient  place.  But  I  fear  that  on  account  of  the  pov- 
erty of  the  members,  unless  God  sends  some  help  by  His 
grace,  the  lot  will  be  lost  again  on  account  of  the  debt 
still  resting  upon  it.  That  would  be  the  greatest  loss  to 
the  congregation,  since  it  would  be  difficult  to  obtain  an- 
other lot. 

At  Falckner  Schwam,  Weitmarge,  Oly,  and  Philadelphia 
and  also  at  their  subordinate  preaching  places,  there  is  as  yet 
nothing.  Services  are  held  with  great  inconvenience  in  houses 
and  barns.  Except  at  Gaguschi  (Cacusi)  near  Oly,  where  as 
I  hear,  they  have  built  a  little  log  church  for  their  use. 


282  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

[ill.      SCHOOLMASTERS    AND    PRECENTORS.] 

Now  concerning  the  last  point,  how  the  congregations  are 
supplied  with  schoolmasters  and  precentors,  there  is,  as  far  as 
I  know,  nobody  with  a  fixed  position.  My  congregation  at 
Falckner  Schwam  is  well  supplied.  The  name  of  the  school- 
master is  John  Reiffschneider.^^°  There  is  also  a  schoolmaster 
at  Philadelphia,  his  name  is  John  Berger,^^^  who  is  known  to 
Do.  Dorsius.  But  no  one  can  make  a  living  by  it.  The  reason 
is,  that  no  school  in  the  country  can  bring  enough  children 
together  for  one  to  make  a  living  by  it  (except  at  Philadelphia 
and  Germandon,  where  the  people  live  close  together) .  More- 
over the  congregations  have  not  the  means  and  are  not  able 
at  the  time  being  to  raise  money  enough  to  support  anybody. 
There  is  as  yet  in  the  whole  country  no  dwelling  either  for 
minister  or  for  schoolmaster.  Singing  up  to  this  time  had  to 
be  conducted  as  best  we  could. 

This  is  what  I  have  been  able  to  report  according  to  the 
above  mentioned  request  of  Do.  Dorsius.  Nor  do  I  believe 
that  I  can  be  accused  (if  the  report  be  investigated)  of  having 
done  anything  useless  against  my  better  knowledge.  But  I  have 
done  all  to  the  glory  of  God  and  the  upbuilding  of  His  true 
Church  in  this  country. 

JoHAN  Philips  Boehm, 
High  German  Reformed  Minister  in  Pennsylvania. 
Pennsylvania,  January  14,  1739. 

The  above  report,  which  was  made  according  to  the  re- 
quest of  his  Reverence,  Mr.  P.  H.  Dorsius,  minister  at  Jamine 
[Neshaminy],  by  his  Reverence,  Mr.  John  Ph.  Boehm,  our  be- 
loved teacher  and  faithful  pastor,  we,  as  the  present  members 
of  the  consistories,  have  heard  read  from  beginning  to  end  and 
haye  well  understood. 

^^John  Reiffschneider  was  no  doubt  a  relative,  probably  a  son 
of  Sebastian  Reiffschneider,  who  appears  first  in  1730  as  one  of  the 
elders  at  Falkner  Swamp. 

"'John  Berger  was  still  schoolmaster  and  precentor  in  Phila- 
delphia in  1747,  when,  on  April  C,  1747,  he  was  given  four  pounds  by 
the  consistory  for  his  pains  and  trouble.  In  an  advertisement,  inserted 
in  Saur's  paper  of  January  16,  1749,  he  still  calls  himself  the  Reformed 
schoolmaster  in  Philadelphia.  Schlatter  refers  to  him  in  his  private 
diary,  see  Journal  of  Prcsb.  Hist.  Soc.  Vol.  Ill,  p.  168. 


LETTER  OF  1740 


283 


Now,  as  we  think  that  everything  in  the  same  is  thoroughly 
truthful,  we  can  also  officially  attest  (each  consistory  for  its 
own  congregation)  that  everything  which  concerns  the  same 
and  is  stated  above  is,  according  to  the  best  of  our  knowledge, 
in  reality  so,  as  we  do  hereby : 


Elders  and  Deacons  of 
the  congregation  at 
Philadelphia,  attest 
January  28,  1739. 


Elders  and  Deacons  of 
the  congregation  at 
Falckner  Schwam,  attest 
February  4,  1739. 

Elders  and  Deacons  of  the 
congregation  at  Oly,  attest 
February  5,  1739. 


Of  the  congregation  at 
Schip  Bach,  attest 
February  11,  1739. 


Caspar  Ulrich,  elder. 
Niclas  Ewig,  elder. 
Bernhard  Sigmund,  elder. 
John  Wendel  Brechbiehl,  elder. 
Jacob  Walter,  deacon. 
John  Gebhard,  deacon. 

Bastian  Reifschneider,  elder. 
Jacob  Krausen,  elder. 
John  Tricktenhengst,  elder. 
John  Dunkel,  elder. 
Andrew  Weis,  deacon. 
John  Diet.  Bucher,  deacon. 

Sebastian  Gref,  elder.^*^- 
John  Frederick  Leibi,  deacon. 
Henry  Werner,  deacon. 

Jacob  Arnet,  elder, 
Andrew  Oberbeck,  elder. 
Ulrich  Stefen,  elder. 
Adam  Meyrer,  elder."^ 
John  Wuehrmann,  deacon. 
Jacob  Beyer,  deacon. 


"*  Sebastian  Gref  (Graaf )  paid  quit-rent  on  100  acres  in  Oley 
Township,  in  1734,  see  Rupp,  1.  c,  p.  475. 

^"  In  1734,  Hans  Adam  Mauerer  (same  as  Mej'rer)  paid  quit-rent 
on  100  acres  in  Salford  township;  at  the  same  time  Hans  Weyerman 
(same  as  Wuehrmann)  paid  quit-rent  on  50  acres  in  Salford  township, 
Rupp,  1.  c,  p.  476.  In  1?28,  "Hans  Worman"  was  one  of  the  signers 
of  a  petition  from  the  inhabitants  of  Falkner  Swamp  and  Goshen- 
hoppen,  addressed  to  Governor  Patrick  Gordon.  The  name  has  hith- 
erto not  been  recognized  (Rupp,  1.  c,  p.  470  omits  it).  But  it  is  the 
sixth  name  in  the  second  column  of  the  signers  of  the  petition,  re- 
produced in  facsimile  in  Vol.  XXII  of  the  Proceedings  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania-German Society.  See  D.  W.  Nead,  The  Pennsylvania-German 
Settlement   of   Maryland,   Lancaster,    1914,    facing   p.    40.    There    are 


Of  the  cono^resration  at 


284  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

^,   ,  .  (  Willem  de  Wees,  elder. 

Of  the  congregation  at  V    /^i    •  .     ,       r^^^-  u 

„,  .  ^    '='  1    Christopher  Ottinger,  elder. 

Weitmarge,  attest  <    t    j    •     t^  a 

_  ,  *  _  i    Ludwig  Knaus,  deacon. 

February  i8,  I739-  (  phjHp  gcherer,  deacon."* 

Jacob  Itzberger,  elder. 

Barthel.  Schaefer,  elder. 

^  ,   .,     ,  ,    Andrew  Aulenbacher,  elder. 

Dolpihacken,  attest  <    t  i     tt    i      u 

-  /^  '  \   John  Haak,  elder. 

^       '     '^^'  I  Jacob  Wilhelm,  deacon. 

John  Knoll,  deacon. 


ENCLOSURE  C. 

[REV.  P.  H.  DORSIUS  TO  MR.  BOEHM,  DECEMBER  6,  1739.] 

Do.  John  Phil.  Boehm,  minister  at  Schip  Bach,  etc.,  is  kindly 
requested  by  me,  the  undersigned  commissioner  of  the  two  Nether- 
land  Synods,  both  of  North  and  South  Holland,  to  inquire  among 
the  High  German  churches  of  Pennsylvania,  what  each  family  is  will- 
ing to  contribute  towards  the  support  of  a  minister  within  the  con- 
gregation or  to  a  yearly  salary,  in  order  that  the  friendly  request  of 
the  Reverend  Christian  Synods  be  complied  with,  which  are  greatly 
interested  in  the  advancement  of  our  Christian  Reformed  religion  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  which  have  offered  assistance  to  that  end,  provided 
that  every  congregation  submit  to  their  wise  counsel ;  to  which  must 
be  added,  that  they  expect  that  all  the  Reformed  congregations,  out  of 
respect  to  the  Reverend  Christian  Synods,  will  refuse  to  hear  the  un- 
ordained  ministers  and  hirelings,  and  refuse  to  accept  them  for  the 
administration  of  the  holy  sacraments,  etc.,  among  whom  are  included 
the  young  Goetschy  and  Van  Basten,  who  while  students  presume  to  do 
everything  that  belongs  to  a  regular  minister;  in  which  matter  the 
Christian  Synods  are  very  anxious  to  know  where  and  how  they  were 
ordained  and  how  they  can  appropriate  to  themselves  the  name  of 
candidates,  otherwise  they  must  expect  the  displeasure  of  the  Christian 
Synods  and  the  consequences  thereof. 

P.   H.  DoRSius, 

Done  in  Bucks  County,  Minister  in  Bucks  County. 

December  6,  1739. 

several  other  names  of  Reformed  people  which  have  not  been  recog- 
nized in  this  list:  Gerhart  de  Heffe,  the  25th  name,  is  Gerhart  In  de 
Haven;  Lorenz  Bingeman,  1st  name  in  second  column;  Conrad  Reiff, 
20th  name  in  second  column  ;Edward  In  de  Havor  (In  de  Haven), 
21st  name  in  third  column. 

'°*This  is  very  likely  Boehm's  father-in-law,  whose  name  was 
Philip  Scherer. 


LETTER  OF  1740  285 


ENCLOSURE  D. 


[CERTIFIED  PLEDGES  OF  THE  REFORMED  CO'NGREGA- 
TIONS  TOWARDS  MINISTERS'  SALARIES,  FEBRUARY- 
MARCH,  1740.] 

Do.  John  Philip  Boehm,  minister  at  Schip  Bach  and  of 
the  congregations  here  in  Pennsylvania,  which  are  mentioned 
below,  has  shown  to  us  the  friendly  request  of  his  Reverence, 
Mr.  P.  H.  Dorsius,  desiring  to  find  out  from  the  High  German 
Reformed  churches  of  Pennsylvania,  what  each  family  would 
contribute,  without  fail,  to  the  annual  salary  and  for  the  sup- 
port of  a  minister  in  its  congregation,  so  that  the  friendly 
request  of  the  Christian  Synods  of  South  and  North  Holland 
might  be  heeded,  since  they  have  been  greatly  interested  in 
the  advancement  of  our  Christian  Reformed  worship  in  Penn- 
sylvania and  have  offered  their  assistance,  provided  that  each 
congregation  submit  to  their  wise  counsel,  to  which  must  be 
added  that  the  Christian  Synods  expect  all  Reformed  congre- 
gations, out  of  respect  to  the  Christian  Synods,  to  refuse  to 
hear  the  unordained  ministers  and  hirelings,  and  not  to  allow 
them  to  administer  the  holy  sacraments,  etc. 

Therefore,  we  humble  ourselves  before  the  loving  God, 
our  heavenly  Father,  and  praise  His  name,  who  graciously 
reveals  at  last  to  us,  poor  members  of  Christ,  the  gracious 
help,  for  which  we  have  so  long  yearned  and  prayed  in  this 
country,  where  the  danger  to  souls  is  so  great,  and  He  shows 
us  how  He  intends  to  carry  on  His  work  by  His  faithful  ser- 
vants for  our  and  our  descendants'  salvation  of  soul  and  eternal 
good. 

Therefore,  we  poor  members  of  Christ  and  true  fellow- 
believers  place  ourselves  under  the  fatherly  protection  of  the 
Reverend  Christian  Synods  as  our  devout  Church  Fathers,  and 
commend  ourselves  to  your  sanctified  care.  We  shall  incessantly 
pray  to  God  that  He  may  pour  out  on  you  all  spiritual  and 
temporal  blessings  and  bless  your  holy  service. 

We  also  promise  herewith,  out  of  obedient  respect,  to  obey 
all  the  above  mentioned  requirements,  humbly  asking  the  Very 
Reverend  Christian  Synods  to  forgive  the  mistakes  which  we 
committed  in  this  respect  by  reason  of  our  necessity  and  sim- 
plicity. 


286  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

But  since  it  would  be  impossible  and  almost  hurtful  to 
allow  the  congregations,  which  are  not  yet  supplied  with 
regular  ministers,  to  remain  for  a  long  time  without  receiving 
the  Holy  Sacraments,  as  there  are  innumerable  men  to  lead 
them  astray,  therefore  Do.  John  Philip  Boehm  has  offered,  if 
God  spares  his  life  and  his  bodily  strength  permits  him  to  do 
so,  to  administer  the  sacraments  to  the  unsupplied  congrega- 
tions, according  to  his  ability.  We  acknowledge  this  as  a 
grace  of  God,  for  we  have  no  reason  to  make  the  least  objec- 
tion to  his  life,  doctrine  and  conduct,  and  we  shall  heartily 
pray  the  kind  God  to  support  him  by  His  power.  Without  his 
offer  we  could  not  have  demanded  of  him  to  take  this  burden 
upon  himself,  because  of  the  widely  extended  country,  for  he 
has  enough  work  in  the  congregations  entrusted  to  him  and 
elsewhere  throughout  the  country. 

We  also  have  the  joyful  hope  that  all  the  measures  what- 
soever that  are  to  the  glory  of  God  and  the  advancement  of 
the  Church  of  Christ,  undertaken  by  his  Reverence,  Mr.  P.  H. 
Dorsius,  minister  in  Bucks  County,  whom  the  two  Christian 
Synods  have  appointed  inspector  over  this  great  work,  will  be 
devised  in  accordance  with  the  wisdom  given  to  him  by  God. 
He  has  sufficiently  shown  his  sincere  zeal  in  this  work  of  the 
Lord ;  only  we  are  heartily  sorry  that  he  is  unwell  and  pray 
God  that  He  will  graciously  strengthen  and  preserve  him. 

Concerning  the  statement  what  each  family  could  con- 
tribute, without  fail,  to  the  annual  salary,  we  must  remark 
that  in  this  moneyless  country  we  are  in  a  very  poor  and 
needy  condition.  The  reasons  are  that  almost  all  come  to 
Pennsylvania  on  account  of  poverty  and  want  of  bodily  food 
at  other  places.^^^  There  are  still  many  of  the  first  immigrants 
who  have  barely  extricated  themselves  out  of  their  debts ;  many 
are  yet  deep  in  debt;  besides  there  is  at  present  still  a  large 
number  of  those  who  have  not  paid  for  their  ocean  voyage  and 
had  to  begin  with  debts.  Moreover,  there  are  also  many  who 
have  not  yet  finished  the  years  for  which  they  bound  them- 
selves out  as  servants.^"®    They  must  serve  sectarians  here  and 

"'The  principal  causes  for  emigration  from  Germany  were  then 
as  now,  economic.  Religious  considerations,  except  in  the  case  of  the 
sects,  played  but  a  very  subordinate  part. 

"'The   subject  of   "Redemptioners"   and   "Indentured   Servants" 


LETTER  OF  1740  287 

there,  they  themselves  possessing  less  than  nothing,  yet,  accord- 
ing to  their  certificates  they  are  members  of  our  true  Church, 
Reformed  according  to  the  Word  of  God. 

Wherefore  we,  as  elders  and  deacons  now  in  service  in 
the  Reformed  congregations  mentioned  below,  do  hereby  pledge 
ourselves,  after  careful  investigation  and  mature  deliberation, 
that  it  may  be  certain  and  the  congregations  be  obliged  to  pay 
it  annually,  as  soon  as  regular  ministers  are  sent  to  them  by 
the  Christian  Synods.  We  hereby  dutifully  attest  this,  with 
the  approval  of  the  congregations,  each  for  his  own  congre- 
gation. 

[congregational   pledges.] 

[i].  The  congregation  at  falckner  schwam  pledges 
itself  to  contribute  to  the  annual  salary  of  the  minister,  surely 
and  without  fail: 

Ten  pounds  of  this  country's  money  and 

Twenty  bushels  of  oats, 
which  we  hereby  attest : 

John  Tricktenhengst,  elder. 

^,      _  .  \   John  Dunkel,  elder. 

Ihe  Congregation  at     )  1^     ,    .  ,   ^^  u     irt 

'  Frederick  Reymer,  elder. "^ 


Falckner  Schwam, 
January  6,  1740. 


Jacob  Kraus,  elder. 

John  Dieter  Bucher,  deacon. 

Adam  Raeder,  deacon. 


in  Pennsylvania  has  recently  been  investigated  by  Frank  R.  Diffen- 
derfer  in  his  book,  The  German  Immigration  into  Pennsylvania,  Lan- 
caster, 1900;  Part  II,  The  Riedemptioners,  pp.  141-317;  See  also  Geiser, 
Redemptioners  and  Indentured  Servants  in  Pennsylvania,  New  Haven, 
1901. 

""Frederick  Reymer  (Reimer)  arrived  in  Philadelphia  in  the 
ship  "Thistle,"  and  signed  the  declaration  of  allegiance  August  29, 
1730.  On  January  22,  1731,  he  bought  of  Henry  Pannebacker  and  his 
•wife,  Eve,  100  acres  of  land  in  Frederick  township.  August  C,  1736, 
he  bought  of  Joseph  Groff  and  Barbara,  his  wife,  41  acres,  106i 
perches  ,  originally,  also  a  part  of  the  Pannebacker  tract.  Frederick 
Reimer  made  his  will  May  9,  1755,  naming  his  wife,  Elizabeth  Reimer, 
and  his  son,  John  Peter  Reimer,  executors.  The  will  was  probated 
February  11,  17-58.  One  of  his  daughters,  Elizabeth  Reimer,  who 
married  Francis  Shunk,  of  Providence  township,  became  the  grand- 
mother of  Governor  Francis  R.  Shunk.  See  Dotterer,  Perkiomen 
Region,  Vol.  I,  p.  103. 


288  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

[2].  On  January  13,  1740,  Do.  John  Philip  Boehm,  our 
minister,  presented  to  us  in  our  regular  congregation  at  Schip 
Bach  all  that  is  stated  above.  The  congregation  accepted 
everything  with  deep  respect  for  the  Very  Reverend  Christian 
Synods.  But  vi^ith  regard  to  the  contribution  towards  a  fixed 
annual  salary  of  a  minister  we  state  that  the  congregation  is 
very  weak  and  small,  because  the  young  Goetschi  and  another 
man,  by  the  name  of  John  William  Straub,  have  assumed  the 
ministerial  office  as  unordained  hirelings  and  have  taken  away 
two  parts  of  this  congregation  and  thus  far  have  kept  up  the 
division.  Therefore,  we  cannot  promise  a  fixed  sum.  But,  if 
the  disorder  could  be  removed  and  the  congregation  by  the 
grace  of  God  be  reunited,  then  the  members  of  the  congrega- 
tion are  willing  to  stand  in  line  with  the  congregation  at 
Falckner  Schwam,  which,  like  ourselves,  has  Do.  Boehm  as 
its  minister. 

This  we,  the  elders  [and  deacons]  now  in  office  attest 
hereby : 

/  Ulrich  Steffen,  elder. 
The  Congregation         \    Jacob  Arnet,  elder. 

at  Schip  Bach,  /   Andrew  Oberbeck,  elder, 

date  as  above.  /   Henry  Wuehrmann,  deacon. 

\  Hans  Adam  Meyrer,  elder. 

[3].  The  Reformed  congregation  in  Oly  was  first  estab- 
lished in  the  year  1736,  on  May  4th,  by  the  Rev.  John  Philip 
Boehm,  upon  our  urgent  request.  The  Lord's  Supper  was 
celebrated  immediately  and  there  were  present  thirty-nine 
communicants.  At  the  second  time,  on  November  17,  1736, 
forty  were  present.  But  when  he  administered  the  same  the 
third  time,  the  congregation  was  in  a  state  of  confusion, 
caused  by  the  young  Goetchi,  who  had  sought  adherents,  and 
by  some  who  had  fallen  away  from  the  true  religion  and  by 
others.  Thus  the  congregation  has  been  in  a  deplorable  condi- 
tion since  then.  But  we,  the  elders  now  in  office  and  members 
of  the  congregation  pledge  ourselves  that  the  congregation  in 
Oly  shall  contribute: 

Ten  pounds  of  this  country's  currency  and 

Twenty  bushels  of  oats. 

Hoping  that  the  congregation,  under  the  good  administra- 


February  7,  1740.  <| 


LETTER  OF  1740  289 

tion  of  his  Reverence,  Inspector  Dorsius,  and  by  the  admoni- 
tion of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm,  will  change  for  the  better  and 
unite  in  a  Christian  spirit,  we  sign  this  with  our  hand : 

Sebastian  Gref,  elder. 
Frederick  Leibi,  deacon. 
Oly,  February  5,  1740.      ■(    Henry  Werner,  deacon. 

Isaac  Levan,  member. ^®^ 
Jan  de  Bois,  member. 
[4].     The  congregation  of  Maxadani  [Maxatawny]  will 
contribute,  without  fail,  to  the  annual  salary  of  a  Reformed 
minister : 

Four  pounds  of  this  country's  currency,  which  we,  the 
elders  now  in  office  in  this  congregation  attest : 

Daniel  Levan,  elder.^^® 
Peter  Leibi,  elder. 
[5].     The  Reformed  congregation  at  Dolpihachen   [Tul- 
pehocken]    promises    to    pay    annually    towards    a    minister's 
salary : 

Fifteen  pounds  of  this  country's  currency  and 
Fifty  bushels  of  oats, 
which  we,  the  elders  now  in  office  attest  by  order  of  the  con- 
gregation : 

Henry  Meyer,  elder. 
Jacob  Wilhelm,  elder. 
February  11,  1740.  <(    Andrew  Aulenbach,  elder. 

John  Haag,  deacon. 
John  Fohrer,  deacon. 

'"  Isaac  Levan,  one  of  the  sons  of  Daniel  Levan,  set  out  for 
Pennsylvania  in  1715.  He  located  in  Exeter  township  near  Reading. 
In  1730,  Isaac  Levan,  resident  of  what  is  now  Berks  County,  was 
naturalized.  In  17-34,  he  paid  quit-rent  on  230  acres  of  land  in  Oley 
Township.  See  Rupp,  Names,  p.  475.  He  died  in  1758.  See  Staple- 
ton,  Memorials  of  the  Huguenots  in  America,  p.  68f. 

"°  This  is  no  doubt  Daniel  Levan,  the  emigrant,  a  son  of  Daniel 
Levan  and  his  wife  Marie  Beau,  Huguenots  from  Piccardy,  France. 
They  fled  to  Amsterdam,  where  they  became  members  of  the  Huguenot 
Church  there,  and  where  one  of  their  sons,  Abraham,  was  baptized 
September  20,  1698.  In  1715,  four  of  the  sons  of  Daniel,  the  refugee, 
set  out  for  Pennsylvania,  namely,  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob  and  Joseph. 
Their  brother  Daniel  followed  in  1727.  They  settled  in  Berks  County. 
See  Stapleton,  Memorials,  p.  6Sf. 


290  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

[6].  The  Reformed  congregation  at  Schwatare^"  [Swa- 
tara]  promises  to  contribute  annually  to  a  minister's  fixed 
salary : 

Five  pounds  of  this  country's  currency  and 

Ten  bushels  of  oats, 
which  we,  the  elders  and  members  of  the  congregation  at  the 
present  time  attest,  with  its  approval : 

/"  Martin  Kapp,  deacon. 
Schwatare,  \    George  Meyer,  member. 

February  14,  1740.        j   John  Philip  Hautz,  member."^ 
'    Daniel  Schue,  member,^^^ 

[7].  The  Reformed  congregation  at  Cocollica  [Cocalico] 
promises  to  contribute  annually  to  a  minister's  fixed  salary : 

Six  pounds  of  this  country's  currency  and 

Twenty  bushels  of  oats, 
which  we,  the  present  elders  and  members  of  the  congregation 
hereby  attest  with  their  consent: 

Cocollica  in  Cannastocka,^  Jacob  Weis,  deacon. 

February  15,  1740.        )^  Andrew  Holtzbaum,  deacon. 

[8].     Canastocka.     The   Reformed  congregation   of   the 

""The  original  Swatara  Church  stood  halfway  between  Fred- 
ericksburg and  Jonestown,  near  the  line  of  the  former  South  Moun- 
tain Railroad,  in  Swatara  Township,  Lebanon  County.  About  1765, 
the  congregation  divided,  one-half  going  to  Stumpstown  (now  Fred- 
ericksburg) and  forming  there  what  is  now  St.  John's  Church,  of 
Fredericksburg,  the  other  going  to  Jonestown  and  forming  there  a 
congregation  of  the  same  name,  St.  John's  Church,  at  Jonestown. 
The  latter  belongs  now  to  the  Swatara  charge,  the  former  to  the 
Bethel  charge,  in  Lebanon  Classis.  See  E.  Grumbine,  Two  Dead  and 
Lost  Churches  on  the  Swatara,  190L  (Paper  read  before  Lebanon 
Co.  Hist.  Soc,  Vol.  I,  No.  14.) 

'"  Philip  Hautz  and  Anna  Margareth,  his  wife,  brought  a  son  to 
Rev.  Conrad  Tempelman  for  baptism,  December  16,  1740.  His  name 
was  Philip  Lorentz.  Another  son,  Christopher,  was  baptized  by  Tem- 
pelman, January  23,  1753.     Entered  in  Swatara  Church  Record. 

*"  A  daughter  of  Daniel  Schuy  and  Anna  Maria,  his  wife,  named 
Barbara,  was  baptized  by  Rev.  C.  Tempelman,  June  25,  1741.  Another 
daughter,  named  Catharine  Elizabeth,  was  baptized  June  8,  1747.  En- 
tered in  Swatara  Church  Record.  Daniel  Schuey  died  1777,  leaving 
nine  children.     See  Stapleton,  Memorials,  p.  122. 


LETTER  OF  1740  291 

Berg  Kirch  [Hill  Church]  promises  to  contribute  annually  to 
a  minister's  fixed  salary,  if  one  is  sent  to  them  by  the  Christian 
Synods : 

Eight  pounds  of  this  country's  currency  and 
Twenty-five  bushels  of  oats,, 
which  we  hereby  attest: 

^   Lorentz  Herchelroth,  elder. 

^  ,  ,  1    Michael  Albert,  elder. 

February  i6,  1740.  ^    ^.^^^^^  ^^.^1^^^  ^1^^^  ,„ 

y  John  Leyn,  elder."* 

[9].  The  High  German  Reformed  Congregation  in  Lan- 
caster, Canastocka,  resolved  to  contribute: 

Fifteen  pounds  of  this  country's  currency, 
towards  the  annual  support  of  a  Reformed  minister.     For  the 
confirmation  and  unfailing  contribution  of  the  above  named 
sum,  we  subscribe  our  names  in  good  faith  and  with  firm 
determination : 

{  Jost  Frenler,  elder. 
February  17,  1740.  <    Niclaus  Treber,  elder. 

(  John  de  Huff,  elder, 

[10].  The  High  German  Reformed  congregation  in 
Philadelphia  promises  as  a  yearly  contribution  towards  the 
fixed  salary  of  its  minister : 

Ten  pounds  of  this  country's  currency, 

"'  Michael  Weidler  was  born  September  14,  1705,  at  Kirchart,  in 
the  Palatinate.  A  warrant  for  185  acres  of  land,  lying  on  Conestoga 
Creek  was  issued  to  him  January  19,  1733.  On  February  11,  1743,  two 
acres  of  land,  adjoining  Jacob  Heller's  land,  "Whereon  the  meeting 
house  now  stands,"  was  deeded  to  "John  Line  and  Michael  Widler, 
by  Philip  Scot,  of  Leacock  township,  for  the  use  of  the  Presbiterian 
Congregation  of  the  said  Church  in  Leacock  aforesaid."  At  the  meet- 
ing of  Coetus  in  1747,  Weidler  represented  the  charge  of  Rev.  J.  B. 
Rieger.  He  died  July  23,  1770,  and  was  buried  in  the  cemetery  ad- 
joining Heller's  Church. 

"*0'n  October  23,  1735,  a  warrant  for  lOO  acres  of  land  in  Lea- 
cock township,  "adjoining  John  Line's  land,"  was  issued  to  Jacob 
Heller.  John  Lein  was  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  Heller  Church 
property  (see  last  note).  In  1748,  he  represented  his  congregation 
at  the  Coetus. 


292  LETTERS  OF  BOEH.M 

which  we,  the  elders  in  office,  attest : 

/   John  Wendel  Brechbiehl,  elder. 

Philadelphia,  \  J?^"  ^.^^^^^^^  ^^^^  "'  ^^^^^- 

17  K  _  \  Valentin  Bever,  elder. 

February  24,  1740.         ^  n  uu  '  u   a 

I  John  Gebhardt,  deacon. 

(^   John  Jacob  Maag,^'*^  deacon. 

[11].  The  congregation  at  Weitmarge  [Whitemarsh] 
consists  of  very  few  families  and  is  willing  to  belong  to  the 
congregation  at  Germandon.  If  the  latter  should  be  supplied 
with  a  regular  minister  by  the  Reverend  Church  Fathers,  then 
Weitmarge  is  willing  to  contribute  its  share  towards  his  sup- 
port, to  which  we,  the  elders  long  in  office,  hereby  subscribe 
our  names : 

Weitmarge,  (  ^^"^""^  ^^  '^^'''  ^^^^^,- 

■J.,      1^     ^      _  <    Christopher  Ottmger,  elder. 

'  (  Philip  Scherrer,  deacon. 

[12].  The  Reformed  congregation  at  Germandon  [Ger- 
mantown]  has  been  for  a  considerable  time  in  a  miserable  con- 
dition, on  account  of  all  kinds  of  sectarians,  of  whom  some 
arose  even  among  ourselves  who  wanted  to  be  ministers.  There- 
fore, many  members,  together  with  ourselves,  stay  away  entirely 
from  the  congregational  meetings.  But  we  hope  that,  by  the 
grace  of  God  and  the  help  of  the  Reverend  and  Devout  Church 
Fathers  in  Holland,  this  congregation  may  soon  be  put  into  a 
good  and  God-pleasing  condition.  For  this  we  shall  incessantly 
pray  to  our  Heavenly  Father,  in  order  that  the  salvation  of  our 
and  our  descendants'  souls  may  be  accomplished.     Hence  we 

"'John  Michael  Diel  qualified  in  Philadelphia,  September  29, 
1733.  In  August,  1748,  he  was  sexton  of  the  Philadelphia  Reformed 
Church. 

"'John  Jacob  Maag  qualified  at  Philadelphia,  August  30,  1737. 
In  1747,  he  was  one  of  the  elders  of  the  Philadelphia  congregation 
and  treasurer  for  the  new  church  building.  He  signed  his  will  May 
5,  1767.  It  was  probated  May  20,  1767.  It  contained  this  provision  : 
"I  also  give  unto  the  needy  or  poor  housekeepers  belonging  to  the 
Dutch  Reformed  congregation  five  pounds  to  be  divided  among  said 
poor  by  my  executors  as  they  think  fit  and  that  in  one  year  after  my 
decease."  His  other  beneficiaries  were  his  wife,  Catherine,  and  his 
son-in-law,  George  Button. 


LETTER  OF  1740  293 

are  of  the  opinion  that  if,  by  a  good  and  wholesome  ordinance, 
this  congregation  at  Germandon  and  that  of  Weitmarge  would 
be  united. 

Ten  pounds  of  this  country's  currency, 
would  annually  and  without  fail  be  contributed  towards  the 
salary  of  a  minister,  which  we  at  Germandon  hereby  con- 
scientiously attest: 

Germandon,  (  John  Niclas  Rauch. 

March  i8,  1740.  \  Jacob  Baumann,^^'' 

[13].  From  the  copy  made  by  the  hand  of  Henry 
Goetschi. 

In  accordance  with  the  above  ecclesiastical  arrangement, 
the  congregation  in  New  Goschenhoppen  promises : 

Ten  pounds.  f   Herman  Fischer, 

P  j    George  Steinmann, 

Casper  Holtzhauser, 
Andrew  Greber. 

The  congregation  in  Great  Swamp: 

Five  pounds.  (  Felix  Brunner, 

p.  J  .    Michael  Eberhard, 

Christian  Willauer,^"^ 
Jacob  Wetzel. 

The  congregation  at  Saucon  Creek: 

Five  pounds.  (  George  Best, 

Frantz  Blum, 


Elders. 


Frederick  Scholl, 
Tobias  Baal. 


'"Jacob  Bauman  qualified  at  Philadelphia  October  2,  1727.  In 
1734  he  paid  quit-rent  on  eight  acres  of  land  in  Germantown.  See 
Rupp,  Names,  p.  473.  He  was  one  of  the  four  trustees  of  the  Ger- 
mantown church.     See  note  107. 

'"Christian  Willauer  was  born  1706.  February  22,  1734,  he  ob- 
tained a  warrant  for  150  acres  of  land  "between  New  Cowesohoppin 
and  the  Great  Swamp."  January  1,  1734,  his  son,  John  Adam,  was 
baptized  by  Rev.  John  Peter  Miller.  In  1757,  he  was  a  member  of  the 
Great  Swamp  Church,  under  Rev.  G.  W.  Weiss. 


294  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

The  above  copies,  marked  A,  B,  C  and  D  have  been  care- 
fully examined  and  found  to  be  exact  transcripts  of  the  true 
originals.  These  originals  are  signed  as  follows:  A  and  C 
with  the  signature  of  his  Reverence,  Inspector  Dorsius ;  B  and 
D  with  the  signatures  of  the  elders  and  deacons  now  in  office 
in  the  congregations  mentioned  above  (except  Goschenhoppen, 
Great  Swamp  and  Saucon  Creek;  these  are  copies  made  from 
the  copies  of  young  Goetschi).     This  we  hereby  attest: 

.    —  ,  ,         „  ,  (  Frederick  Reymer,  elder. 

At  Falckner  Schwam,  i   ^         m  u 

, ,      ,  <    John  Trickenhengst,  elder. 

March  30,  1740.  ]   \  ^ 

"^       '  (  Adam  Rader,  deacon. 

summary 

of  that  which  each  High  German  Reformed  congregation  here 
in  Pennsylvania"®  pledged  itself  to  contribute  unfailingly  to 

*"  Although  Boehm  included  in  the  following  list  most  of  the 
Reformed  congregations  in  existence  in  Pennsylvania  in  1740,  his  list 
is  by  no  means  complete.  It  will  serve  a  useful  purpose  if  we  present 
a  list  of  all  the  Reformed  congregations,  known  to  us  at  present, 
which  were  in  existence  in  1740,  together  with  the  year  of  their  or- 
ganization. Those  years  that  are  marked  with  an  asterisk  (*)  are 
only  approximate.  In  those  cases  the  first  year  when  they  are  actually 
mentioned  in  still  existing  records  has  been  chosen.  We  arrange  them 
according  to  counties  and  the  latter  in  chronological  order : 

I.  In  Montgomery  County:  (1)  Falkner  Swamp,  1725;  (2) 
Skippack,  1725;  (3)  Whitemarsh,  1725;  (4)  New  Goshenhoppen,  1727; 
(5)   Old  Goshenhoppen,  *1730. 

II.  In  Lancaster  County:  (1)  Hill  Church,  Conestoga,  1725;  (2) 
Lancaster,  *1733 ;  (3)  Cocalico,  *1733;  (4)  Muddy,  Creek,  *1733;  (5) 
Seltenreich,  Earltownship,  *1733;   (6)   White  Oaks,  *1733. 

III.  In  Philadelphia  County:  (1)  First  Church,  Philadelphia, 
1727;  (2)  Germantown,  1727. 

IV.  In  Berks  County:  (1)  Tulpehocken,  Host  Church,  1727; 
(2)  Oley,  *1734;  (3)  Berne.  *1736 ;  (4)  Maxatawny,  *1736;  (5)  Mose- 
lem,  *1738;   (6)   Cacusi,  1738. 

V.  Lehigh  County:  (1)  Egj'pt,  *1734;  Great  Swamp,  1734;  (3) 
Heidelberg,  *1740. 

VI.  Northampton  County:   (1)   Saucon,  *1734. 

VII.  Lebanon  County:  (1)  Tulpehocken,  Trinity  Church,  1738; 
(2)   Swatara,  *1739;   (3)   Quittopahilla,  ♦HSQ. 

This  list  shows  that  by  the  year  1740,  at  least  twenty-six  con- 
gregations were  in  existence,  of  which  Boehm  mentions  seventeen  in 
the  above  list.  But  the  younger  Tulpehocken  Church  mentioned 
elsewhere  (see  p.  398),  must  be  added  as  the  eighteenth  congregation. 


LETTER  OF  1740 


295 


the  annual  salary  of  a  minister,  promised  by  the  then  officiating 
elders  and  deacons  with  their  own  hands  (in  case  ministers 
are  sent  to  them  by  the  Very  Reverend  Synods  of  Holland), 
including  an  additional  report. 


The 


congregation  in  Falckner  Schwam,  January  6,  1740... 

at  Schip  Bach,  January  13,  1740 

in  Oly,  February  5,  1740 

"  in  Maxadani,  February  7,  1740  

"  in  Gaguschi,  pledged  nothing  

"  in  Dolpihacken,  February  11,  1740 

"  at  Schwatare,  February  14,  1740 

"  in  Quitebehele,  united  with  Dolpihacken 

"  in  Canastocka,  called  Cocolica,  Feb.  15 

at  the  Hill  Church,  February  16,  1740. 
"  in  Lancaster,  February  17,  1740 

in  Philadelphia,  February  24,  1740. . . . 
"  at  Germandon,  March  16,  1740     ] 

at  Weitmarge,  March  18,  1740     j 

"  at  New  Goschenhoppen 

"  at  Great  Swamp   

"  at  Saconkrik   


Total 


10 
10 
10 
4 

15 
5 


15 
10 

10 

10 
5 
5 


123 


^  O 

CQ    o 


20 
20 
20 


SO 
10 

20 
25 


165 


ADDITIONAL  REPORT. 

I.  Concerning  the  congregation  at  Gaguschi  [Cacusi].  I 
was  there  on  the  8th  of  February  [1740]  and  spoke  with 
Jacob  Rieser,  who  showed  me  the  way  to  N.  Riehm,""  a  dea- 
con, with  whom  I  stayed  over  night.  Next  morning  he  went 
with  me  to  John  Kirschner.  I  explained  to  them  the  affair 
as  well  as  I  could.  But  I  noticed  more  distrust  than  zeal  for 
this  good  and  beneficial  cause.  When  I  finally  desired  to  know 
their  will  and  opinion,  they  answered  that  they  would  consider 
the  case  among  themselves  and  come  to  me  to  Dolpihacken  on 

""The  letter  N.  is  used  in  German  to  indicate  a  name  unknown 
to  the  writer.  The  Berne  church  record  (a  neighboring  church)  men- 
tions a  Martin  Riem,  whose  son,  John  George,  was  baptized  February 
20,  1749.    His  sponsor  was  John  George  Riem. 


296  LETTERS  OF  BOEH.M 

the  loth  and  nth  [of  February]  and  sign  the  paper.  But, 
although  I  waited  for  them  beyond  the  appointed  time,  they 
did  not  come. 

2.  Concerning  the  congregation  Ouitebehele^^^  [Quito- 
pahilla] ,  we  considered  the  case,  and  since  this  congregation  is 
still  very  weak,  and  only  one  man,  by  the  name  of  John  Blum^" 
(a  very  able  man  for  a  reader)  lives  about  eight  miles  from 
Dolpihacken,  but  all  the  others  live  nearer  to  that  place,  we 
found  it  advisable  to  wait  until  in  time  more  people  live  there, 
and  till  then  save  the  trouble  and  expense  of  a  minister.  They, 
therefore,  joined  the  congregation  at  Dolpihacken  the  more 
readily,  because  Dolpihacken  will ,  have  to  be  served  at  two 
places,  on  account  of  its  wide  extent  and  rapid  growth.  One 
of  the  places  will  be  nearer  to  them  to  go  to  church  to,  and  may 
be  counted  instead  of  Quitebehelen,  because  it  extends  in  that 
direction  and  is  already  in  use. 

3.  Concerning  the  congregation  of  Germandon.  When  at 
one  time  I  wanted  to  speak  to  them  about  it,  I  found  little 
attention.  His  Reverence,  ]\Ir.  Dorsius,  knows  the  conditions 
there  as  well  as  I.  Yet  I  firmly  hope  to  God  that  some  time 
it  will  be  better.  Then  the  weak  congregation  at  Weitmarge 
can  be  united  with  it,  as  it  has  shown  all  the  time  a  willingness 
to  do  so,  and  it  can  hardly  be  arranged  in  any  other  way. 

4.  Concerning  the  congregation  of  Goschenhoppen,  I 
know  not  what  to  say.  I  have  been  there  three  times,  yet  I 
have  not  been  able  to  do  anything,  although  I  entreated  them 
very  urgently  not  to  cast  aside  the  grace  of  God,  now  so  clearly 
visible.     When  I  went  to  them  the  third  time,  they   (namely 

"^  The  Quittopahilla  church,  so  named  from  the  Quittopahilla 
Creek,  a  tributary  to  the  Swatara,  is  today  represented  by  the  Hill 
Church,  near  Annvillc,  about  three  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Lebanon. 
This  is  the  first  reference  to  the  congregation  that  has  come  to  light. 

^""John  Blum  arrived  in  Philadelphia,  September  4,  1728.  He 
took  out  a  warrant  for  100  acres  of  land  in  Lebanon  township,  De- 
cember 19,  1737.  The  land  was  patented  to  him  March  17,  1741.  His 
will  was  dated  January  0,  1759.  It  was  probated  at  Lancaster,  Novem- 
ber 13,  1759.  (Communicated  by  Dr.  S.  P.  Heilman.)  He  was  re- 
peatedly visited  by  Moravian  missionaries.  Thus  Rev.  Leonhard 
Schnell,  under  date  June  25,  1746,  writes  in  his  diary:  "Today  I  went 
over  the  Quitopehill  and  appointed  a  sermon  at  Peter  Kucher's.  I 
visited  N.  Blum,  a  dear  old  grey  man,  who  is  preacher  there." 


LETTER  OF  1740  297 

the  elders)  held  a  meeting  on  the  23rd  of  February,  and  a 
part  of  them  promised  me  at  last  to  come  on  the  26th  or  the 
27th,  in  order  to  sign  the  paper.  I  also  heard  that  the  people 
in  Great  Swamp  [Gross  Schwam]  and  those  at  Saconkrik  were 
not  at  fault.    However,  I  did  not  see  any  of  them. 

Postscript.  Since  the  Inspector,  Mr.  Dorsius,  could 
not  go  to  G^rmandon,  I  went  there  on  March  i8th,  1740,  ac- 
companied by  an  elder  from  Weitmarge,  by  the  name  of 
Christopher  Ottinger.  We  two,  and  two  other  members  there, 
deliberated,  as  is  found  at  the  end  of  the  paper  marked  D.  I 
firmly  hope  to  God  that  when  the  [proposed]  arrangement  has 
once  been  made,  and  they  are  supplied  with  a  regular  minister, 
it  will  soon  be  one  of  the  most  beautiful  congregations,  for  ten 
miles  in  circumference  all  must  attend  services  there.  The 
church  there  is  a  beautiful,  well  built  stone  church.  It  is  also 
quite  large,  but  they  still  owe  140  pounds  to  four  men,^®^  as 
I\Ir.  Baumann,  whose  name  is  signed  above,  told  me. 

J.    P.    BOEHM. 


ENCLOSURE  E. 

[PROVISIONAL   REPARTITION    OF   THE   REFORMED    CON- 
GREGATIONS IN  PENNSYLVANIA,  1740.] 

Provisional  repartition  of  the  churches  of  the  High  Ger- 
man Reformed  people  in  Pennsylvania,  and  how  these  churches 
may  be  combined  and  served  in  the  most  convenient  and  use- 
ful way  by  six  ministers,  according  to  the  testimony  of  the 
elders  and  deacons  of  most  of  the  places,  as  contained  in  the 
above  report,  which  was  required  of  me : 

I.  For  one  minister  Philadelphia  and  Germandon ;  he 
might  live  most  conveniently  at  [Philadelphia]. 

II.  Falckner  Schwam  and  Schip  Bach,  to  which  also 
Weitmarge  belongs.  These  are  the  three  congregations  of 
Boehm,  for  which  he  was  ordained  by  the  Very  Reverend 
Classis  of  Amsterdam  through  the  Reverend  Ministers  at  New 
York,  on  November  23,  1729.    Weitmarge,  because  it  is  only 

'*' These  four  men  are  mentioned  in  the  deed,  see  note  107. 


298  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

four  miles,  and  partly  half  that  distance  from  Germandon  and 
sixteen  miles  from  Schip  Bach,  may  with  greater  convenience 
be  joined  to  Germandon,  whose  people  might  there  attend 
church  services.  Do.  Boehm  and  the  elders  at  Weitmarge  are 
willing  to  consent  to  this  (if  such  a  union  should  please  our 
Reverend  Church  Fathers)  and  Do.  Boehm  desires  to  retain 
Falckner  Schwam  and  Schip  Bach  as  his  remaining  two  con- 
gregations. The  parsonage  can  most  suitably  be  located  at 
Schip  Bach,  if  the  church  lot,  which  was  bought  there,  can  be 
retained.  Therefore  he  prays  very  earnestly  for  greatly  needed 
help,  so  that  it  can  be  kept  by  the  congregation. 

III.  Canastocka,  in  which  there  are  three  [preaching] 
places.  The  minister  could  live  most  conveniently  near  the  Hill 
Church,  from  which  he  would  have  to  go  six  miles  in  opposite 
directions. 

IV.  Dolpihacken,  where  probably  a  place  could  be  found 
in  the  center,  where  everything  can  be  located  together.  The 
subordinate  preaching  points  here  are:  Quitebehelen  and 
Schwadare,  both,  according  to  report,  seven  or  eight  miles 
farther  up.  They  are  reported  to  be  pretty  strong  congrega- 
tions, but  consisting  mostly  of  poor  people,  who  cannot  help 
themselves  at  all. 

V.  Oly.  There  the  same  condition  prevails,  and  perhaps 
a  suitable  place  may  still  be  found,  from  which  GagHschi  and 
Maxadani  may  be  served. 

VI.  Goschenhoppen.  As  in  the  last  two  congregations, 
a  place  might  here  also  be  found  for  a  minister's  dwelling 
house,  which  would  not  be  too  inconvenient  in  order  to  supply 
Great  Swamp  [Grossen  Schwam]  and  Saconkrik  [Saucon 
Creek]  from  it. 


[XXVII.    THE  CLASSIS  OF  AMSTERDAM  TO  REV.  JOHN 
PHILIP  BOEHM,  APRIL   1,   1740.*"] 

To  Rev.  John  Philips  Boehm. 
Reverend  Sir  and  Esteemed  Brother: — 

The   Reverend   Classis   of   Amsterdam   duly   received   your   last 
letter  of  March  13th,  1739.     It  gave  them  much  satisfaction  that  you 

"'A  copy  of  the  original  letter  is  the  Classical  Lctterbook,  Vol. 
XXIX,  p.  274. 


LETTER  OF  1740  299 

were  so  zealously  diligent  in  seeking  to  edify  the  churches  in  your 
vicinity  and  to  promote  their  general  welfare.  May  the  Lord  grant 
blessed  results  to  your  labors,  and  incite  you  to  greater  watchfulness 
and  to  yet  more  earnest  efforts  in  the  ministry  of  the  Gospel. 

It  was  peculiarly  agreeable  to  the  Qassis  that  you  did  not  with- 
draw yourself,  but  that  you  showed  your  willingness  to  give  explana- 
tions to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Dorsius,  upon  his  written  request,  to  the  ques- 
tions put  by  him  to  you,  concerning  the  condition  of  those  churches  of 
which  you  have  the  oversight.  We  perused  with  great  pleasure  and 
joy  the  accurate  account  which  you  prepared  of  your  churches,  a  copy 
of  which  you  also  sent  us.  This  gives  us  the  light  we  needed,  to  en- 
able us  to  understand  the  exact  condition  of  the  churches  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. Therefore  in  the  name  of  our  Classis,  we  commend  you  for 
your  careful  investigation  and  earnest  efforts  in  this  matter.  We  now 
earnestly  request  you,  and  fraternally  admonish  you  that  you  persevere 
in  this  course;  and  in  unison  with  Mr.  Dorsius, — to  whom  you  give 
praise,  to  our  gratification — to  co-operate  in  everything,  which  may  be 
of  great  service  for  the  upbuilding  and  extension  of  the  kingdom  of 
Jesus  among  you. 

We  also  want  to  assure  you  that  all  letters  sent  to  us  by  you  be- 
fore 1739,  were  duly  answered  during  the  same  year.  No  doubt  by  this 
time  the  answers  have  reached  you.  Never  will  we  delay  to  answer, 
by  the  first  opportunity,  any  letter  which  comes  from  you. 

It  was  not  without  our  being  painfully  affected,  that  we  learned 
how  much  you  were  oppressed  with  various  difficulties,  under  the 
heavy  burdens  of  the  ministry.  We  want  to  help  you  in  all  these 
things  and  shall  endeavor  to  do  so.  To  this  end  we  will  bring  your 
request  before  the  next  Synod  of  North  Holland,  which  is  held  in 
the  year  1740,  that  you  may  receive  some  aid,  to  enable  you  to  keep 
the  church-ground  from  being  forfeited,  to  the  great  injury  of  the  con- 
gregation. We  are  not  without  hope  that  our  endeavor  thereto  will 
not  be  altogether  fruitless.  We  will  also  most  gladly  give  you  some 
personal  aid  and  encouragement,  for  we  greatly  commiserate  your 
straitened  circumstances.  Therefore  our  Classis  has  resolved  that  its 
churches  should  try  to  collect  some  money  to  send  to  you  for  your 
support. 

And  now  what  you  wrote  in  your  postscript,  that  some  evil- 
minded  persons  in  Philadelphia  had  written  to  us  to  your  disadvantage : 
On  this  subject  the  Classis  has  already  spoken,  and  from  which  you 
can  perceive  how  much  we  seek  to  guard  against  all  injustice,  or 
lack  of  Christian  caution,  by  a  hasty  judgement,  without  thorough  in- 
vestigation, and  also  hearing  from  yourself. 

Further,  Worthy  Brother,  it  is  the  prayer  of  our  souls  that  the 
Great  Shepherd  of  the  sheep  may  endow  you  richly,  enabling  you  to 
gather  the  lambs  of  the  flock  into  the  spiritual  fold,  and  to  care  for 
them  with  wisdom,  and  guide  them  by  exemplary  doctrine  and  deport- 
ment. May  consolation  and  strength  from  above  be  granted  you 
abundantly,  to  the  glor>'  of  the   Savior's   name,   which  must   forever 


300  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

become  glorious  among  all  churches.    We  are  with  all  cordiality,  etc.,  etc. 

John   Pl.'KTixus,  Praescs. 
Tiberius   Reytsma,   Scriba. 
Amsterdam, 

April  1,  1740. 

P.  S.  Enclosed,  find  a  book  by  Rev.  Mr.  Kulenkamp,  from  the 
worthy  Consistory  of  Amsterdam,  for  the  service  of  yourself  and  other 
ministers  in  Pennsylvania.  Meanwhile  the  Classis  sends  you  for  your 
support,  in  your  poverty,  the  sum  of     .     .     .    "'^     [fl.  309]. 


[XXVIII.    MR.  BOEHM  TO  THE  CLASSIS  OF  AMSTERDAM, 
APRIL  4,  1740.^^] 

Very     Reverend     Classis,     Reverend     and     Devout     Church 

Fathers: — 

I  had  serious  doubts  about  sending  the  enclosed  copy  (of 
a  letter)  to  the  Reverend  Classis,  believing  that  on  its  account 
I  might  be  regarded  with  displeasure.  Yet  I  thought  it  indis- 
pensably necessary,  in  whatever  aspect  I  considered  it,  to  let 
the  Very  Reverend  and  Devout  Church  Fathers  see  it,  for  they 
in  their  exalted  wisdom  will  know  what  to  do  with  it,  in  order 
that  your  poor  fellow-servant  may  be  guarded  against  further 
trouble. 

This  letter  caused  constant  mischief,  and  was  the  continual 
support  of  the  wicked  associates  of  Jacob  ReifT  since  the  time 
of  its  arrival  in  this  country.  (Do.  Weis  brought  it  along 
from  Holland.)  The  Christian  Synods  in  their  letters  to  his 
Reverence,  Mr.  Dorsius,  have  sufficiently  declared  their  dis- 
pleasure with  the  unordained  preachers  and  hirelings. 

About  eight  years  ago  I  was  shown  this  letter  (of  which 
the  enclosed  is  a  copy)  from  a  distance,  with  the  statement, 
that  they  did  not  concern  themselves  much  about  me  and  my 
Church  Order,  and  that  they  knew  what  power  and  liberty 
they  had. 

Now,  although  I  tried  hard  during  all  this  time,  yet  I 

^"The  amount  is  not  stated  in  the  copy  of  the  letter  in  the  letter- 
book  of  Classis,  but  the  Minutes  of  Classis  give  it  as  fl.  309  ($123.00). 

'''The  original  German  letter  of  Boehm  is  in  the  Classical 
Archives. 


LETTER  OF   1710  301 

could  not  obtain  the  letter,  until  a  few  weeks  ago.  It  came 
by  accident  out  of  their  hands  into  mine. 

Now  I  believe  firmly  that  this  letter  was  cunningly 
forged,^*'  for 

1st.  A  long  time  ago  I  heard  from  the  lips  of  Reiff  him- 
self that  he  had  received  the  same  from  Do.  Wilhelmi  in  the 
Dutch  language  and  that  he  had  it  translated  into  the  German 
language  in  Holland. 

2nd.  The  signature  is  written  by  the  very  hand  of  the 
translator,  while  the  name  of  the  translator  is  not  mentioned. 
This  ought  to  be  entirely  different. 

3rd.  The  letter  consists  of  six  sheets,  which  have  been 
sewed  together  with  a  blue  silk  ribbon  and  sealed.  I  cannot 
believe  that  it  is  Do.  Wilhelmi's  seal,  for  I  have  the  seal  on 
two  letters  in  three  forms,  none  of  which  is  like  it. 

4th.  In  these  letters  Do.  Wilhelmi  wrote  me,  after  I  had 
notified  him  that  they  did  such  things  in  the  name  of  his 
Reverence  (which  they  did  as  the  letter  shows)  and  he  as- 
sured me,  if  such  was  done  in  his  name,  it  was  done  without 
his  knowledge  and  approval.    His  letter  is  dated  June  30,  1736. 

5th.  The  so-called  "Report  and  Instructions  concerning 
Pennsylvania,"  drawn  up  by  ten  commissioners  and  printed  by 
order  of  the  Christian  Synods  (probably  in  1731),^®^  is  almost 
uniform  with  the  regulations  of  the  enclosed  letter.  But  noth- 
ing is  mentioned  (in  the  Report)  about  that  which  is  contained 
in  the  beginning  of  the  letter,  with  regard  to  the  power  and 
liberty  which  the  letter  grants  to  the  people  of  this  country 
and  to  the  exercises  of  which  it  urges  them.  The  letter  like- 
wise does  not  say  to  whom  money  had  been  given  in  Holland. 
The  printed  pamphlet,  however,  mentions  that  a  considerable 
sum  of  money  had  been  placed  into  the  hands  of  Do.  Weis  in 

'"The  whole  letter  was  not  forged.  That  would  have  been 
too  difficult  an  undertaking,  but  a  few  sections  were  inserted,  as  indi- 
cated  below. 

'*^This  "Report"  has  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  printed 
account  of  the  Reformed  Church  of  Pennsylvania.  It  was  printed 
by  the  Synodical  Deputies.  The  similarity  of  the  report  to  the  latter 
part  of  Wilhelmi's  letter  proves  that  Doctor  Wilhelmi  was  the  author 
of  this  "Report"  of  1731.  It  was  submitted  to  the  Synod  of  South 
Holland,  meeting  July  3-13,  1731,  at  Dort. 


302  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

Holland. 

Hence  no  one  would  be  a  more  fitting  person  to  lead  the 
poor,  misguided  people  back  upon  the  right  way  and  bring 
about  unity,  love  and  a  God-pleasing  order,  by  exposing  such 
cunning  and  fraud,  than  his  Reverence,  Do.  Wilhelmi,  whom 
God  would  graciously  reward  for  it.  This  would  certainly  be 
the  case,  because  many  have  passed  away  without  being  recon- 
ciled, and  many  have  gone  over  to  the  sects  on  account  of  the 
trouble  and  disharmony  occasioned  by  this  letter,  so  that  my 
heart  often  bled  and  sighed  to  God.  I  should  be  very  glad  if 
I  had  a  letter  regarding  it  in  my  hands  (for  if  it  gets  into  the 
hands  of  Reiff's  adherents  it  will  be  hidden).  Then,  with  the 
help  of  God,  I  would  soon  gather  my  sheep  and  perform  my 
work  among  my  congregations  with  a  double  joy  and  my  bitter 
sorrow  would  soon  be  sweetened. 

But  as  long  as  this  letter  has  been  here  my  work  has  been 
rendered  useless  among  many.  The  slanderers  and  liars  found 
it  a  weapon  against  me  and  I  had  to  put  up  with  a  small  com- 
pensation for  all  my  difficult  and  wearisome  toil  and  labor,  and 
thus  lose  my  food  for  the  support  of  my  body.  But  the  most 
painful  result  was  that  I  had  to  see  my  labor  made  fruitless 
with  many,  because  of  this  letter,  and  had  to  behold  more  harm 
in  all  the  congregations  of  the  whole  country  than  I  could 
bring  about  growth. 

The  Reverend  Classis  can,  therefore,  clearly  see  that  it  is 
not  my  fault  that  our  true  church  in  this  country  did  not  grow. 
For  Henry  Goetschi  has  shown  this  letter  everywhere  and 
thereby  caused  me  much  persecution,  until  he  learned  differ- 
ently from  his  Reverence,  Inspector  Dorsius.  Then  he  heartily 
repented  and  asked  my  forgiveness  in  the  presence  of  his  Rev- 
erence, which  I  granted  him  with  all  my  heart.  I  also  wish 
him  success  and  intercede  for  him  with  God  and  our  Reverend 
Church  Fathers.  He  obediently  submitted  to  the  decision  of  the 
Reverend  Christian  Synods  and  desisted  immediately.  May 
God  give  him  blessing  and  grace  that  he  may  become  an  effi- 
cient instrument  to  edify  others. 

I  also  made  this  suggestion  to  his  Reverence,  Inspector 
Dorsius,  to  propose  to  the  Christian  Synods,  in  sending  the 
desired  ministers,  to  ordain  each  for  his  particular  place.  For 
some  places  are  more  acceptable  than  others  and  the  people  also 


LETTER  OF  1740  303 

differ.  I  think  that  thereby  future  quarrels  could  be  entirely 
avoided,  and  all  would  have  to  be  content.  May  God  give  His 
gracious  blessing  upon  his  work  for  the  salvation  of  many. 

Your  obedient  servant  commends  herewith  the  Very  Rev- 
erend Classis,  your  reverend  persons,  with  all  your  families 
and  holy  service,  to  the  dear  heavenly  Father  and  to  the  Word 
of  His  grace,  and  himself  to  your  blessed  and  affectionate  care 
and  he  remains, 

Very  Reverend  Classis, 
Your  most  submissive  and  obedient  servant, 

JoH.  Ph.  Boehm, 
Minister  at  Falckner  Schwam,  Schip  Bach  and  Weitmarge. 
Witpen  Township, 

Philadelphia  County, 

Pennsylvania,  April  4,  1740. 


[ENCLOSURE  A.] 

[LETTER  OF  THE  REV.  DR.  JOHN  WILHELMIUS  OF  ROT- 
TERDAM TO  THE  REFORMED  BRETHREN  IN 
PENNSYLVANIA,  DECEMBER  31,  1780.] 

Grace  and  Peace  be  to  the  Brethren,  who  are  partakers  of  the 
heavenly  calling,  and  love  the  Lord  Jesus  unceasingly. 

I  thank  my  God  that  He  has  deemed  me  worthy  to  speak  in 
behalf  of  your  church  before  the  churches  of  the  Netherlands,  and 
that  with  such  a  good  result  that  they  have  accepted  your  church  to 
show  their  liberality  towards  it  and  to  assist  it  with  counsels  and  deeds. 
I  feel  one  with  you  in  spirit  to  such  an  extent,  that  I  always  make  men- 
tion of  you  in  my  prayers  and  implore  God  to  preserve  your  church, 
to  edify,  bless  and  strengthen  it  to  the  end  that,  as  the  church  of  the 
Palatinate  has  been  the  mother  church  of  that  of  the  Netherlands, 
so  also  their  descendants  may  be  the  glory  of  Christ,  a  means  of  praise 
on  earth  and  a  place  of  refuge,  where  those  that  are  persecuted  in 
Europe  for  the  sake  of  the  truth,  will  find  a  secure  shelter  in  course 
of  time.  Nothing  will  give  me  so  much  joy  as  to  hear  good  reports 
of  you  and  as  often  as  I  shall  have  opportunity  to  render  you  any 
service.     It  is  offered  to  you  by  me  heartily  and  fraternally. 

Because  of  this  love  for  you,  I  am  much  grieved  over  the  dis- 
turbances which  have  arisen  among  you  by  reason  of  the  ordination 
of  Philip  Boehm.  since  I  fear  that  from  this  little  spark,  kindled  by 
the  devil  among  you,  such  a  fire  of  discord  and  division  will  be  kindled 


304  LETTERS  OF  BOEH.M 

among  the  confessors  of  the  truth,  that  it  cannot  be  quenched,  that  the 
professors  of  our  faith  will  be  scattered  and  the  hope  for  the  building 
up  of  the  Church  of  Christ  will  be  lost,  unless  it  be  extinguished  in 
time. 

I  have  transmitted  both  of  your  letters  of  complaint,  one  to  the 
Classis  of  Amsterdam  and  the  other  to  that  of  Rotterdam,  and,  since 
the  Classis  of  Amsterdam  had  already  deliberated  upon  this  matter, 
and  had  more  knowledge  of  it  than  our  own  Classis  [of  Rotterdam], 
I  sent  the  letter  first  to  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  in  order  that  I 
might  learn  what  it  would  do  in  your  just  cause.  For  I  thought,  in 
case  your  affair  should  turn  out  as  desired,  its  resolution  might  then 
be  communicated  to  the  Classis  of  Rotterdam,  and  we  could  in  that 
case  also  adopt  it. 

Since,  however,  I  learn  from  Messrs.  Weiss  and  Reiff  that  the 
first  Classis  [that  of  Amsterdam]  insists  upon  its  former  resolution 
and  that  Boehm  is  to  be  confirmed  in  his  office,  I  have  transmitted  your 
letter,  on  November  21st,  to  the  Classis  of  Rotterdam,  which,  after 
having  read  it,  found  it  to  be  of  such  importance,  that  ten  commis- 
sioners were  appointed,  three  from  our  Classis,  three  from  the  Classis 
of  Delft  and  four  Deputies  of  the  Synod  [of  South  Holland],  to  in- 
vestigate the  affair  most  carefully  and  report  to  the  Gassis,  and  also 
communicate  to  you  its  advice,  that  you  may  make  use  of  it.  But,  as 
this  cannot  be  done  before  the  next  meeting  of  the  Qassis  at  Easter, 
I  could  not  meanwhile  remain  quiet  and  allow  Mr.  Weiss  to  return 
empty  handed,  v/ithout  communicating  to  you  my  own  personal  thoughts 
about  this  affair  and  submitting  them  to  your  consideration. 

They  are  to  this  effect:  That  you  should  accept  the  counsel  cf 
the  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  in  order  to  preserve  by  this  means  the  har- 
mony and  peace  of  the  church,  until  God,  through  the  death  of  Mr. 
Boehm  or  through  other  means,  brings  about  a  change.  By  doing 
this,  you  will  be  able  to  keep  and  retain  the  favor,  good  will  and 
assistance  of  this  conspicuous  Classis,  all  the  more  because  this  Classis 
received  letters  from  commissioners  of  your  church,  which  asked  for 
Boehm,  whose  ordination  took  place  as  a  result  of  it.  He,  moreover, 
cannot  be  expelled  from  his  office  without  scandal  and  disgrace. 

Nevertheless,  in  case  this  advice  be  not  acceptable  to  you,'''*  and 
your  hearts  cannot  unite  with  him  [Boehm],  nor  be  promoted,  edified 
and  comforted  by  his  ministry,  and  your  church  be  exposed  to  ridicule 
and  contempt,  as  you  write  in  your  letter,  and  as  I  heard  from  the 
two  delegates,  I  give  it  as  my  personal  opinion,  that,  in  order  to  re- 
move present  and  future  quarrels,  you  have  the  divine  right,  given  to 

""The  four  paragraphs  that  follow  were  likely  inserted  into  the 
German  translation.  They  are  absolutely  contradictory  to  what  pre- 
cedes and  follows.  No  minister  under  the  Dutch  Synods  could  have 
given  such  advice,  which  aimed  at  the  ex-communication  of  the  elders 
at  Skippack  and  the  deposition  of  Boehm.  The  very  insistence  on  the 
supposed  "divine  right"  of  the  congregation  betrays  its  origin. 


LETTER   OF   1740  305 

you  by  God  in  Christ  Jesus,  which  you  may,  can  and  must  use  to  elect, 
on  your  own  responsibility,  a  minister  in  accordance  with  the  Word 
of  God  and  the  Church  Order. 

For  your  nation,  which  is  living  in  a  free  land,  is  a  perfectly  free 
church,  dependent  upon  none,  which  has  in  herself  the  right  to  govern 
herself,  to  form  an  ecclesiastical  government,  to  elect  such  elders  as 
she  pleases,  if  only  it  be  done  according  to  the  Word  of  God.  Being 
independent  of  every  church  in  the  world,  whichever  it  may  be,  you 
can  accept  and  follow  advice  or  decline  to  do  so.  While  it  is  entirely 
different  with  the  churches  in  New  Netherland  [New  York],  which 
have  been  organized  by  the  Church  of  Holland. 

Inasmuch  as  this  is  so,  the  congregation  of  Schippach.  Schwam 
and  neighboring  places  has  the  divine  right  herself  to  elect  a  minister, 
whom  she  may  find  fit  for  that  position,  and  it  is  my  opinion  that  this 
procedure  should  be  followed :  The  consistory  should  assemble  and 
investigate  the  conduct  of  the  men.  who  in  the  name  of  the  whole 
congregation  wrote  to  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  asking  for  Boehm, 
and  when  it  shall  appear  that  therein  they  did  not  act  truthfully,  or  that 
they  themselves  were  deceived,  the  consistory  must  bring  them  to  a 
confession  of  their  guilt  and  punish  them  by  excluding  them  from 
the  table  of  the  Lord  and  its  communion,  inasmuch  as  they  were  the 
cause  of  the  disturbance.  They  should  treat  Do.  Boehm  also  in  the 
same  manner,  and,  if  it  be  found  that  he  deceived  these  men  in  their 
simple-mindedness  by  his  cunning  and  his  artifices,  I  advise  that  these 
things  be  recorded  properly  and  sent  over  to  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam, 
so  that  you  may  be  justified  and  the  Classis  be  assured  that  its  reso- 
lution was  based  on  deceptive  tales. 

After  this  has  thus  been  done,  the  consistory  may  notify  the 
congregation,  that  all  the  male  members  meet  at  a  specified  time  to  vote 
one  by  one  for  the  election  of  a  minister,  acting  according  to  the 
Church  Order  of  the  Palatinate,  then  proceed  to  the  ordination.  And, 
to  the  end  that  all  this  be  done  orderly,  the  advice  and  guidance  of 
the  nearest,  regular  minister,  that  can  be  secured  from  Staten  Island 
or  Bucks  County,  should  be  requested,  in  order  that  he  may  be  present 
and  preside  over  the  transaction. 

However,  my  dear  Brethren,  my  concern  extends  not  only  to 
the  present  disturbance,  but  also  to  all  other  disagreements,  which  in 
future  may  arise  among  you  and  which  are  certain  to  arise,  because 
Satan  will  set  everything  to  work,  in  order  to  frustrate  the  building 
up  of  the  Church  of  God  and  subvert  it,  which  will  be  easy  for  him 
to  accomplish  as  long  as  your  church  has  not  formally  been  organized 
and  you  have  not  established  a  fixed  order  among  you,  according  to 
which  you  will  know  how  to  regulate  your  affairs  in  the  future.  Inas- 
much as  it  is  too  tedious  to  secure  advice  and  counsel  for  each  and 
every  occurrence  from  the  European  churches  and  their  advice,  more- 
over, is  too  uncertain,  because  our  Church  does  not  know  all  the  cir- 
cumstances of  affairs  and  the  condition  of  your  nation,  it  is  much 
more  convenient  for  you  to  deliberate  upon  your  own  affairs,  for  they 

20 


306  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

are  best  understood  by  yourselves. 

In  what  manner  your  nation  can  best  be  brought  to  a  well- 
ordered  church-government  is  a  question  of  much  thought,  concern 
and  wisdom,  regarding  which  I  have  meditated  often  and  asked  God 
for  enlightenment.  After  much  consideration  the  following  manner 
appears  to  me  to  be  the  most  convenient  and  I  submit  it  to  your 
consideration  -.^^ 

FIRST.  The  Consistory  of  Schip  Bach  must  send  a  circular 
letter  to  all  men,  who  were  members  of  the  church,  throughout  the 
whole  country,  and  request  them  to  send  some  of  their  people  to  a 
general  conference,  in  order  to  consult  regarding  the  advancement  of 
the  Church  of  God  in  this  colony.  This  conference  should  consist  of 
twenty-four  men,  who  have  authority  to  establish  a  provisional  Church 
Order,  and  report  their  conclusions  to  the  people  who  have  sent  them, 
which,  after  necessary  changes  have  been  made,  shall  be  adopted  in  the 
following  meeting,  so  that  they  and  their  descendants  may  obligate 
themselves  to  it  [by  subscription]. 

SECOND.    This  conference  should  then 

A.  Divide  the  whole  country  into  five  parishes  and  fix  certain 
limits,  so  that  each  member  and  family  may  know  to  what  parish  they 
henceforth  belong,  and  in  future  no  disputes  may  arise  regarding  this. 

B.  Each  parish  must  have  a  church,  to  which  those  shall  be- 
long, who  live  within  its  boundaries. 

C.  Each  church  must  have  a  pastor  and  a  schoolmaster,  who 
shall  also  be  the  precentor,  so  that  five  churches,  five  pastors  and 
schoolmasters  must  be  provided. 

D.  Each  church  must  have  its  consistory,  consisting  of  the  min- 
ister, four  elders  and  four  deacons. 

E.  All  business  must  be  transacted  in  this  consistory  by  ma- 
jority votes. 

Regulation  regarding  Ministers. 

They  must  have  all  the  requisite  qualifications  in  accordance  with 
the  Palatinate  Church  Order.  They  must  do  all  that  the  Church  Order 
prescribes. 

Regulation  regarding  Elders. 

It  must  also  be  in  harmony  with  the  Church  Order  and  the 
Formulas  [of  the  Reformed  Church].    Each  must  serve  two  years. 

Regulation  regarding  Deacons. 

It  must  be  their  duty  to  take  up  the  collection,  count  the  collected 
money  in  church,  after  the  services  in  the  presence  of  all  the  deacons; 

'"The  similarity  between  this  constitution  and  the  one  printed 
in  the  "Report"  of  1731  are  so  striking  that  they  must  go  back  to 
the  same  author.  As  Dr.  Wilhelmi  elaborates  these  regulations  in 
this  letter  before  they  were  printed  he  must  be  the  author  of  them. 


LETTER  OF   1740  307 

record  day  and  date  and  how  much  it  was,  keep  the  money  and  not 
expend  it,  unless  by  order  of  the  Consistory. 

Regulation  regarding  Each  Consistory. 

1.  Each  Consistory  must  consist  of  the  minister,  elders  and 
deacons. 

2.  Each  minister  must  preside  over  the  meeting,  present  matters, 
announce  the  decision  according  to  the  majority  of  votes,  and  open  and 
close  the  meeting  with  prayer. 

3.  Each  member  must  have  a  determining  vote,  and  the  presi- 
dent a  double  vote,  in  case  of  a  tie. 

4.  The  time  of  meeting  must  be  according  to  opportunity  for 
each  church,  at  least  four  times  a  year,  before  the  Lord's  Supper, 
to  consider  whether  church  discipline  should  be  applied  to  the  members. 

5.  Besides  the  ordinary  or  regular  meetings,  the  president  shall 
also  call  a  special  meeting,  upon  the  request  of  a  member  of  the 
consistory. 

6.  The  members  of  the  consistory  must  be  changed  every  year 
in  such  a  way  that  two  of  the  four  elders  retire,  in  whose  place  two 
others  shall  be  elected. 

7.  The  matters  which  shall  be  transacted  by  each  consistory 
are:  (1)  Complaints  must  be  heard,  in  case  there  are  any,  which  may 
be  raised  by  members  of  the  consistory,  one  against  the  other;  (2)  The 
conduct  of  the  congregation  must  be  investigated,  those  that  are  in 
error  and  give  offense  must  be  proceeded  against  and  church  discipline 
must  be  exercised  according  to  the  Church  Order;  (3)  They  must 
deliberate  about  the  alms,  where  and  how  they  are  to  be  applied,  keep 
a  record  of  it  and  submit  once  a  year  a  financial  statement,  publicly 
in  church,  to  all  those  that  may  be  present. 

8.  Each  Consistory  must  keep  a  minute  book,  in  which  to  record 
all  important  matters  that  have  been  transacted.  The  minutes  must  be 
read  and  signed,  at  each  session,  by  the  president. 

9.  All  the  resolutions  of  the  Consistory,  taken  by  majority  of 
votes,  must  stand,  even  if  some  one  protest  against  them. 

10.  Church  Discipline  must  be  exercised  according  to  the  Church 
Order  of  the  Palatinate. 

Regulation  regarding  an  Upper  Consistory  [or  Classis]. 

Inasmuch  as  the  Church  Order  of  the  Palatinate  agrees  funda- 
mentally with  the  Presbyterian  government  of  Geneva  and  of  the 
Netherlands,  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  all  the  members  of  the  consis- 
tories should  have  one  power  and  authority.  But,  while  this  authority 
is  wielded  in  the  Palatinate  by  Inspectors  and  Superintendents,  who 
must  bring  all  matters  before  the  Prince,  I  believe  that  [in  Penn- 
sylvania] it  could  be  done  more  appropriately  by  an  Upper  Con- 
sistory [Classis],  for  whose  government  the  following  regulations 
may  be  made : 

1.    This  Upper  Consistory  must  consist  of  delegates  from  each 


308  LETTERS  OF  BOEH.M 

of  the  five  consistories,  namely  a  minister,  elder  and  deacon  of  each, 
and  thus  it  will  include  fifteen  persons. 

2.  This  assembly  must  be  held  once  a  year  during  the  summer. 

3.  The  place  of  meeting  should  be  in  the  center  of  the  country, 
so  that  delegates  can  come  together  more  conveniently  from  all  sides. 

4.  This  assembly,  being  in  session,  should  elect,  by  majority  of 
votes,  a  president  and  secretary.  It  should  be  opened  and  closed  with 
a  public  sermon,  to  be  preached  by  the  ministers  in  turns. 

5.  All  that  is  transacted  must  be  determined  by  majority  of 
votes,  at  which  occasion  each  member  shall  have  one  vote,  but  the 
president,  in  case  of  a  tie,  a  double  vote.  All  resolutions  aje  to  be 
entered  by  the  secretary  into  a  minute  book,  and  must  be  copied  by 
each  consistory,  to  preserve  them  in  the  churches,  for  the  advantage 
and  use  of  each  consistory. 

6.  The   duty   of   this   Upper   Consistory   must  be : 

A.  To  read  wjiat  was  transacted  in  the  preceding  year. 

B.  Each  Consistory  must  read  from  its  minute  book  all  that 
occurred  and  was  recorded  in  its  midst  during  the  whole  year. 

C.  The  condition  of  the  Church  in  the  whole  colony  must  be 
supervised,  and  the  question  must  be  considered  where  new  churches 
can  be  established,  owing  to  the  expansion  of  the  Church. 

D.  Ultimate  and  final  decisions  must  be  given  in  all  cases  which 
may  be  brought  by  each  consistory  through  appeals  before  the 
assembly. 

E.  Supervision  must  be  exercised  over  the  money  which  may  be 
collected  in  Europe  or  in  its  own  midst  for  the  use  of  the  churches. 

F.  Annual  correspondence  must  be  maintained  with  the  churches 
of  the  Netherlands,  the  growth  and  increase  of  the  churches  must  be 
made  known,  counsel  and  advice,  v;hen  necessary,  should  he  sought,  and 
resolutions  should  be  taken  regarding  it. 

G.  This  assembly  shall  represent  the  whole  church  of  this  colony 
and  shall  treat  with  higher  and  lower  authorities  in  Pennsylvania, 
according  to  opportunity  or  the  demands  of  the  situation. 

Regulation  regarding  the  Means  of  Subsistence,  or  the  salary,  and 
the  question  of  the  expenses  of  the  divine  service  and  the  support  of  the 
churches,  the  schools,  the  consistories  and  the  church  buildings. 

Inasmuch  as  the  service  of  God  and  the  salvation  of  our  eternal 
and  immortal  souls  are  the  most  important  work,  which  God  demands 
of  us,  and  for  whose  sake  we  are  in  thi.<;  world,  it  has  come  to  pass  that 
God  put  the  obligation  upon  his  ancient  people,  that  each  property 
owner  should  annually  give  a  tenth  part  of  all  his  income  for  the  ser- 
vice of  the  temple  and  the  support  of  the  ministers,  besides  the  offer- 
ing of  the  firstlings  and  other  things  more.  And,  although  this  law  is 
now  abrogated,  nevertheless  all  Christians  are  under  the  necessary  ob- 
ligation that  each  one  must  contribute  his  share  for  the  maintenance 
of  the  divine  service,  the  churches  and  the  schools,  to  educate  therein 
our  dearest  possessions  and  to  promote  our  happiness.  How  large  the 
share  is  to  be,  which  each  one  should  contribute,  is  not  defined  in  the 


LETTER  OF   1740  309 

Word  of  God  [New  Testament],  but  there  is  a  general  feeling  and 
opinion,  not  only  among  Christians  but  also  among  many  heathen,  that 
one  should  sanctify  the  tenth  part  of  one's  annual  income  for  this  pur- 
pose. For  this  reason  it  would  not  be  unreasonable  for  each  Reformed 
member  in  the  colony  to  set  aside  and  contribute  the  tenth  part  of  his 
produce. 

But,  in  consideration  of  the  fact  that  this  could  not  be  done, 
without  appreciable  hardship,  during  the  first  stage  in  the  growth  of 
the  colony,  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  each  one  that  is  baptized  should 
contribute  annually  one  English  shilling.  This  appears  to  me  (not 
wishing  to  anticipate  a  better  plan)  a  convenient  and  sufficient  means 
for  the  necessary  support  of  the  divine  service.  For,  supposing  that 
there  are  twenty  thousand  baptized  members,  young  and  old,  and  that 
each  one  contributes  a  shilling,  it  would  amount  annually  to  one 
thousand  pounds  sterling.  Now,  if  each  minister  receives  annually 
fifty  pounds  and  each  schoolmaster  annually  fifteen  pounds,  it  would 
amount  annually  to  three  hundred  and  twenty  five  pounds,  so  that  there 
would  remain  six  hundred  and  seventy  five  pounds,  with  which  the 
following  items  could  be  paid:  (1)  The  meeting  of  the  Great  Con- 
sistory, which  will  cause  annually  some  expenses,  together  with  the 
traveling  expenses  and  the  entertainment  of  the  members  while  in 
session,  which  may  last  from  eight  to  fourteen  days;  (2)  the  support 
of  the  widows  and  the  surviving  children  of  the  deceased  ministers, 
who  cannot  and  must  not  be  neglected,  nor  die  from  want;  (3)  above 
all  two  young  men  must  be  selected  by  the  Upper  Consistory  and 
educated  with  this  money  for  the  ministry  of  the  Church.  To  this 
end  they  must  be  sent  to  higher  schools  in  America  or  even  in  Europe, 
in  order  that  the  churches  may  always  be  supplied  with  pastors  from 
their  own  people  and  the  inhabitants  of  Palatinate  extraction  may  enjoy 
the  honor  and  respect  as  well  as  the  advantages  of  this  service,  to  which 
they  furnish  the  necessary  sums;  (4)  the  candidates,  who  have  no  ap- 
pointments; (5)  With  this  money  a  school  of  higher  learning  could 
also  be  established,  consisting  of  four  professors,  one  of  whom  could 
teach  the  Latin  and  Greek  languages,  the  second  the  Hebrew  and 
Oriental  languages,  the  third  Church  History  and  Philosophy  and  the 
fourth  Sacred  Theology.  In  this  manner  you  would  have  everything 
in  your  own  organization  necessary  for  your  support,  maintenance 
and  prestige. 

The  method  to  be  followed  for  the  collection  and  expenditure 
of  monies  might  be  regulated  as  follows : 

1.  That  each  family  shall  bring  its  shilling  at  the  communion 
service  at  Easter  to  the  Consistory  of  its  own  parish. 

2.  That  each  Consistory  shall  transmit  the  money  thus  received 
to  the  Upper  Consistory,  held  once  a  year. 

8.  That  each  minister  shall  receive  his  salary  there,  by  giving 
a  receipt  and  also  the  salary  of  his  schoolmaster,  which  is  to  be  handed 
over  to  the  latter  at  the  minister's  return,  upon  getting  a  receipt  from 
him. 


310  LETTERS  OF  BOEHAI 

4.  That  an  account  of  the  receipt  and  expenditure  of  the  money, 
together  with  the  balance  on  hand,  shall  be  communicated  to  each  Con- 
sistory, so  that  a  report  and  explanation  can  be  made  to  each  congre- 
gation, by  which  it  will  appear  how  the  money  has  been  well 
administered. 

Besides  these  dues  no  other  fees  or  so  called  jura  stolae  [dues 
of  the  cloth]  shall  be  paid,  as  baptismal  and  wedding  fees  or  still  others. 

The  symbols  of  bread  and  wine  shall  be  paid  for  out  of  the  alms. 

In  consideration  of  the  fact  that  thus  payment  is  made  by  each 
member,  rich  and  poor,  contributing  alike,  I  am  of  the  opinion,  that  it 
should  be  left  to  the  free  choice  of  the  rich  to  give  more  occasionally. 
It  may  be  freely  expected  of  them  that  at  this  or  that  opportunity 
they  will  give  a  larger  sum  for  the  service  of  the  churches,  the  work 
of  the  deacons  or  to  the  general  treasury. 

Inasmuch  as  this  is  such  a  reasonable,  just,  easy  and  fair  consti- 
tution, by  which  the  divine  service  can  be  established,  I  trust  that 
none,  who  entertains  any  reverence  of  God  or  love  for  the  divine  ser- 
vice, any  sincere  desire  for  the  salvation  of  his  soul  and  true  concern 
for  his  descendants,  will  withdraw  from  his  duty,  especially  when  one 
considers  the  advantages  that  will  be  enjoyed  thereby,  namely 

A.  The  Church  of  Pennsylvania  will  not  be  dependent  upon  any 
one,  existing  by  itself  and  not  needing  any  one's  approval. 

B.  The  Church  in  Pennsylvania  will  thereby  grow  in  influence 
and  authority  above  all  other  sects,  because  they  will  learn  that  the 
whole  body  of  the  churches  is  now  united  and  joined  together  for 
each  other's  help  and  assistance. 

C.  She  will  be  ordered  and  governed  by  her  own  means  and 
will  have  her  own  fellow-countrymen  for  her  shepherds  and  super- 
visors, who  will  stand  under  the  supervision  of  her  own  Consistory 
and  will  thus  shepherd  the  congregations  with  wisdom  and  intelligence. 

D.  When  such  a  deacons'  treasury  and  also  a  general  treasury 
has  once  been  established,  people  of  means,  when  they  have  made  a 
successful  business  venture,  or  are  about  to  die  without  children,  will 
set  apart  and  make  provision  to  donate  a  part  of  their  property  to  such 
a  treasury,  or  bequeath  it  through  a  legacy. 

E.  The  European  churches  will  be  more  ready  and  willing  to 
contribute  their  charitable  gifts  more  liberally,  when  they  learn  that 
they  will  be  used  and  administered  by  the  whole  nation  and  when  they 
receive  information  how  and  for  what  purpose  they  will  be  used. 

Furthermore  I  believe  that  in  each  Consistory  a  special  book 
should  be  kept,  in  which  to  record  the  baptized  persons,  those  that 
have  been  married  and  buried  as  well  as  the  members  who  make  their 
confession  of  faith,  so  that  the  people  may  know  at  all  times  how 
strong  they  are  and  what  their  condition  is. 

Regulation  regarding  the  Election  and  Ordination  of  Ministers. 

The  first  church  which  has  already  been  formed  and  has  its  own 
Consistory  has  also  the  power  to  elect  its  minister  and  can  have  him 


LETTER  OF  1741  311 

installed  by  another  regular  minister,  who  may  be  requested  to  do  so. 

The  second  church  as  well  as  all  the  other  churches  have  the 
same  right  and  they  may  act  in  this  matter  as  follows :  The  minister 
that  has  been  elected  can  be  examined  by  and  in  the  presence  of  the 
first  Consistory,  which  has  a  regular  minister,  and,  after  preceding 
proclamation,  can  be  ordained  by  the  latter. 

The  same  method  may  be  followed  in  other  churches,  or  else 
each  Consistory  may  address  a  letter  to  the  Consistory  of  the  Palatin- 
ate, requesting  that  a  minister  be  sent  from  the  Palatinate,  who  has 
been  ordained  by  the  imposition  of  hands  and  commissioned  for  such 
a  church. 

Behold,  my  dearest  and  most  valued  friends  in  Christ  Jesus 
our  Lord,  these  are  my  own  thoughts,  which  I  have  formulated  for 
myself,  and  which  I  ask  you  to  receive  as  a  token  of  my  love  and 
care,  which  I  have  for  your  welfare. 

Consider  them,  meditate  upon  them  and  follow  them,  or  not, 
according  to  the  condition  of  affairs.  I  shall  be  pleased  to  learn  what 
the  ten  commissioners  that  have  been  appointed  will  do,  which  I 
shall  communicate  to  you  in  course  of  time.  Meanwhile  I  hope  that 
God  will  grant  you  wisdom  to  direct  this  great  work  aright,  so  that 
all  of  Europe  may  rejoice  when  it  hears  that  the  condition  of  your 
churches  is  flourishing  and  that  thereby  the  way  has  been  prepared 
that  Jesus,  the  King,  will  be  preached  to  the  wild  heathens,  who 
have  never  heard  of  him  before.  This  is  a  great  work,  which  will 
require  at  first  much  labor  and  trouble,  but  for  which  the  Lord  will 
give  enlightenment,  if  it  is  undertaken  prayerfully  and  with  a  holy 
zeal. 

Concluding  herewith,  I  remain,  with  all  the  attachment  of  my 
heart, 

My  Noble   Sirs'  well  wishing 
Servant  in  the  Lord  Jesus, 

Johannes  Wilhelmius, 
Doctor  of  Sacred  Theology  and  Minister 
of   the   Congregation  at  Rotterdam. 
Rotterdam, 

December  31,  1730. 


[XXIX.    DEFENSE  OF  MR.  BOEHM  BY  HIS  CONSISTORIES, 
MAY  3,  1741.'"] 

Very  Reverend  Classis,   Devout  Church  Fathers: — 

With  deep  deference  to  the  Reverend  Classis,  your  obedient 
children  and  fellow-believers  of  our  holy  and  true  Reformed 

'"The    original    German    letter   of    Boehm    is    in   the    Qassical 

Archives. 


312  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

doctrine  cannot  refrain  from  first  of  all  giving  expression  to 
our  gratitude  for  the  kind  gift  bestowed  by  the  Reverend 
Classis  upon  our  beloved  and  faithful  teacher  and  pastor.  We 
wish  that  the  Lord  Jesus  may  recompense  every  kind  and  bene- 
volent benefactor  and  be  his  eternal  reward.  For  thus  far  it  has 
not  been  in  our  power  to  support  him  and  his  household  as  is 
proper,  in  order  that  he  might  be  able  to  devote  himself  entirely 
to  his  [pastoral]  service.  Notwithstanding  this,  we  sincerely 
declare,  upon  our  official  responsibility,  that  Do.  Boehm  has 
not  neglected  anything  of  that  which  we  had  agreed  upon,  when 
we  called  him  to  our  congregation  in  Philadelphia  (namely  to 
hold  services  here  on  one  Sunday  in  every  month).  Although 
our  congregation  consists  largely  of  poor  day  laborers  and  fresh 
immigrants,  many  of  whom  still  owe  their  passage  money,  who 
could  contribute  little  or  nothing,  yet  he  has  been  patient  with 
all  and  we  have  not  observed  in  the  least  that,  on  that  account, 
he  became  neglectful  of  his  official  duties,  or  that  he  despised 
or  frowned  upon  any  one  who  could  not  as  yet  give  him  any- 
thing for  his  hard  labors  and  long  trips,  which  he  has  to  make 
from  one  place  to  another.  On  the  contrary,  Mr.  Boehm  has 
tried  to  earn  a  living  for  himself  and  his  family  on  the  farm 
where  he  lives,  in  addition  to  his  hard  pastoral  work.  From 
this  we  can  only  infer  that  it  is  his  greatest  pleasure  to  serve 
faithfully  the  congregations  of  Christ,  of  which  he  is  the 
founder"-  and  which  he  gathered  everywhere  in  this  country; 
and  to  preserve  them  in  our  true  Reformed  doctrine,  according 
to  his  ability,  until  it  please  God  to  send  more  help,  for  which  he 
and  all  of  us  have  heartily  prayed.  We  certainly  believe,  be- 
cause we  are  convinced  of  his  indefatigable  zeal  in  his  work 
and  his  active  love  for  the  truth  of  the  Gospel,  that,  as  long 
as  God  spares  his  life  and  he  enjoys  strength  of  body,  he  will 
not  leave  ofif,  even  if  the  trials  which  he  has  to  endure  should 
last  still  longer.  Why,  then,  should  we  not  be  heartily  grateful 
to  our  merciful  God,  especially  the  majority  of  the  members  in 
our  true  church  here  (who  are  not  able  to  contribute  anything 
towards  a  minister's  salary),  that  He  has  given  us  such  a  stead- 
fast and  faithful  shepherd  and  teacher,  who  discharges  the 
duties  of  his  office  in  our  pure  Reformed  doctrine,  according 

"•^  For  Boehm  as  the  founder  of  Churches  see  pp.  58-81. 


LETTER   OF  17-}1  313 

to  the  pure  truth  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ?  He  has  not 
contaminated  himself  wilh  sects  or  any  heretical  doctrine,  nor 
has  he  ever  swerved  from  the  true  doctrine  which  we  have 
learned  in  our  Heidelberg  Catechism,  of  which  we  are  wit- 
nesses. Of  this  we  have  many  a  sad  example  here  (as  is  well 
known  to  the  Classis)  in  the  case  of  other  ministers.  But  no 
one  can  truthfully  say  this  of  our  minister,  Mr.  John  Philip 
Boehm.  For  this  God  be  praised  for  ever !  The  same  strong 
God  preserve  him  furthermore  to  the  end  of  his  life,  by  His 
grace,  in  His  Word,  which  is  the  truth,  for  the  salvation  of  him- 
self and  of  all  our  souls.  May  He  recompense  him  richly  with 
His  eternal  reward  of  grace. 

Now,  Very  Reverend  Classis,  we  have  learned  from  a  let- 
ter, by  the  Reverend  Classis  in  the  year  1739  to  Mr.  Boehm, 
but  not  received  by  him  until  December  15,  1740,  that  some 
reports  detrimental  to  Mr.  Boehm  had  come  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  Reverend  Classis,  both  by  word  of  mouth  and  by  letter, 
namely,  it  was  charged  that  Mr.  Boehm  had  no  education  and 
that  he  was  not  desirous  of  obtaining  one,  that  he  worked  dur- 
ing the  whole  week  and  on  Sunday  he  read  from  a  sermon 
book  and  talked  at  random ;  that  in  addition  he  led  an  offensive 
life,  on  account  of  which  he  was  derided  by  the  Quakers. 

In  regard  to  the  first  charge,  that  our  minister  has  no 
education,  we  answer  no  more  than  this,  that  we  have  heard  all 
[Reformed  minrsters]  preach  who  have  come  here,  to  none  of 
whom  would  we  give  preference  as  far  as  we  understand  the 
exposition  of  the  holy  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  as  the  Word  of 
God.  We  are  well  satisfied  with  the  teaching  of  our  minister, 
which  we  believe  to  be  unadulterated  and  according  to  God's 
holy  Word.  With  regard  to  the  charge  that  he  does  not  strive 
to  grow  in  wisdom  and  knowledge  of  divine  things,  we  have 
quite  different  indications. 

2.  He  is  charged  with  working  during  the  whole  week. 
We  cannot  refute  this  charge.  The  reason  for  it  has  been 
stated  above.  But  this  is  certainly  nothing  dishonorable  and 
no  one  has  had  cause  to  be  offended  by  it.  We  believe  that 
there  are  some  who  would  have  liked  to  see  him  burden  the 
congregation  with  a  sufficient  salary  to  support  his  family, 
so  that  they  might  have  a  reason,  because  of  their  inability  to 
pay  it,  to  leave  the  congregation   disgruntled.     But  he  con- 


314  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

sidered  it  an  unpardonable  sin  to  bring  about  such  a  result  and 
thereby  cause  the  ruin  of  the  congregation,  gathered  by  him, 
rather  than  a  disgrace  to  suffer  and  labor  with  his  congregation 
and  barely  eke  out  a  living.  Every  one  who  suft'ers  for  Jesus' 
sake  may  form  his  own  opinion  in  this  matter. 

But  with  regard  to  the  charge  that,  by  reason  of  this,  he 
reads  on  Sunday  something  from  a  sermon  book  and  only  talks 
at  random,  we  declare  that  we  have  never  heard  him  do  this, 
but  as  often  as  we  have  heard  him,  we  have  always  found  that 
God  had  graciously  given  him  enough  to  edify  us,  so  that  we  do 
not  believe  that  ever  any  one  went  home  without  being  gratified, 
except  those,  whom,  according  to  their  opinion,  he  had  attacked 
too  severely  because  of  their  errors,  false  teaching  in  this  land 
and  other  vices.  We  cannot  sufficiently  express  our  surprise 
that  there  can  be  such  people,  who  so  shamelessly  and  devoid 
of  all  love,  report  to  the  Reverend  Classis  such  base  falsehoods ; 
and  above  all  charge  our  minister  with  an  offensive  conduct,  in 
order  to  put  him  under  suspicion  by  the  Reverend  Classis. 

Now,  Very  Reverend  Classis,  we  heartily  desire  that  these 
people  be  called  to  account  for  it  and  be  required  to  state 
wherein  his  offensive  conduct  consists.  We  are  convinced  that 
they  cannot  prove  and  substantiate  a  single  point. 

We  at  any  rate,  who  attend  to  our  office  with  the  greatest 
care,  can  freely  declare,  on  our  vow  and  conscience  as  before 
God  and  sign  it  with  our  own  hands,  that  we  have  not  noticed 
any  vices  in  him,  which  could  cause  any  one  to  take  the  least 
offense.  We  heartily  wish  that  we  could  conscientiously  affirm 
the  same  of  those  who  report  such  untruths  and  who  are  not 
unkown  to  us,  but  unfortunately  they  lack  much  to  our  great 
regret.  Hence,  Very  Reverend  Classis,  we  heartily  wish  that 
these  men  (who  have  no  other  object  but  always  to  hinder  our 
work  of  divine  worship  and  delay  the  lime  that  we  shall  receive 
help),  were  as  well  known  to  the  Reverend  Church  Fathers  as 
they  are  to  us.  Then  they  would  find  no  hearing  any  more,  for 
as  long  as  they  are  heard  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  old  enemy 
will  not  cease  to  hinder  us  at  all  times,  by  his  cunning  and 
through  them  as  his  instruments,  in  the  work  of  God,  which 
was  begun  in  this  country  for  the  welfare  of  our  poor  souls. 
Finally  we  know  nothing  of  the  derision  of  the  Quakers. 

Now,  Very  Reverend  Classis,  concerning  the  church  collec- 


LETTER  OF  1741  315 

tions,  received  in  Holland  by  Do.  Weis  and  Jacob  Reiff,  we 
were  told  that  we  could  not  receive  the  least  help  until  this 
money  was  put  to  the  right  use.  If  this  be  so,  then  may  it 
move  God's  pity,  that  the  poor,  innocent  congregations  which 
cannot  help  themselves,  shall  suffer  for  these  faithless  men. 
Nor  can  we  have  confidence  in  Diemer's  faithfulness  (com- 
missioner in  this  matter  with  Do.  Dorsius),  for  we  know  and 
some  members  of  our  congregation  have  seen  in  a  letter,^^^ 
written  to  Reiff  in  Holland,  that  Diemer  and  six  others  with 
him  are  just  as  much  to  blame  for  the  loss  and  deception  as 
Reiff,  of  which  the  Reverend  Classis  has  already  been  informed. 
Who  then  can  imagine  that  one  will  go  against  the  other  ?  May 
God  forgive  him  whose  fault  it  is  that  Diemer  received  this 
commission.  In  the  meantime  we  must  see  that  Reiff  trades 
with  and  gets  interest  from  this  money,  while  the  poor  con- 
gregations might  have  been  partly  helped  with  it.  This  grieves 
us  very  much.  Yet  we  hope  that  in  course  of  time  there  will 
be  an  end  of  this.  If  it  had  been  deemed  expedient  to  entrust 
this  case  to  our  minister  alone,  we  beheve,  we  would  already 
have  seen  a  different  outsome. 

The  Very  Reverend  Classis,  however,  will  have  obtained 
a  clear  insight  into  the  condition  and  circumstances  of  all  our 
churches  in  Pennsylvania  from  the  truthful  reports  of  the  years 
1/39  ^"d  1740,  all  of  which  were  received  by  the  Reverend 
Classis.  The  zealous,  devout  and  solicitous  Church  Fathers 
will  surely  show  their  holy  interest  in  our  poor  Church  of 
Christ,  in  their  true  fellow-believers,  in  our  pure  doctrine 
and  in  our  faithful  pastor,  for  which  we  herewith  humbly 
pray,  for  Jesus'  sake,  so  that  the  days  of  our  sadness  may  be 
shortened  as  much  as  possible  and  simple  souls  may  be  kept 
from  falling  into  folly. 

In  such  undoubted  hope  to  the  kind  and  loving  God,  and 
with  the  heartfelt  wish  and  prayer  for  His  heavenly  blessing 
upon  the  Very  Reverend  Classis,  all  our  Church  Fathers,  your 
persons,  all  your  families  and  holy  service,  we  commend  our- 
selves to  your  fatherly  care. 

We  are  and  remain, 

Very  Reverend  Classis, 

'**  For  this  letter  written  to  Reiff  while  in  Holland  by  seven  of 
the  Philadelphia  members,  see  Boehm's  letter  of  October  28,  1734,  p.  236. 


816 


LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 


Your  submissive  fellow-members  and  children  in  the  Lord, 


Philadelphia, 

January  25,  1741. 

Of  the  High  German 
Reformed  Congregation 
in  Philadelphia. 


^John  Michael  Diel,  elder. 

Valentin  Beyer,  elder. 
iRudolf  Wielecken,  elder. 

John  Henry  Klemmer,  elder, 
(his  H  I  K  mark) 

Jacob  IMaag,  deacon, 
ijohn  Ludwig  Seipel,  deacon. 


The  above  was  sent  to  us  by  our  brethren  in  Philadelphia 
and  we  have  heard  it  read  distinctly.  Accordingly  our  brethren's 
words  are  in  all  things  likewise  our  own  and  we  attest  and  sign 
the  same  with  them,  according  to  our  duty,  with  our  own 
hands : 


'Jacob  Arnet,  elder. 
lUlrich  Steffen,  elder. 
Andrew  Oberbeck,  elder. 

(his  A.  O.  mark) 
Henry  Wuehrmann,  deacon. 

JWilliam  de  Wees,  elder. 
(^ Philip  Scherrer,  deacon. 

/John  Druckdenhengst,  elder. 
John  Dunkel,  elder. 
^Frederick  Reymer,  elder. 

his 
"(Jacob  X  Krausen,  elder. 

mark 
John  Dieter  Bucher,  elder. 
\Adam  Raeder,  deacon. 

Of  the  Reformed  congregation     Hohn  George  Peruh, 
at  Dolpihacken,  <  Martin  Schel, 

May  3,  1741.  (John  Fohrer. 

We,  the  undersigned,  having  heard  that  Do.  Dorsius  and 
Jacob  Diemer  had  been  given  a  power  of  attorney  concerning  the 
collection-money,  received  by  Jacob  Reiff  and  Do.  Weis  in  Hol- 
land for  the  Pennsylvania  churches  in  order  to  obtain  the  same 
by  the  laws  of  this  country,  and  being  unable  to  notice  any 


Of  the  congregation 
at  Schip  Bach, 
February,  1741. 

Of  the  congregation  at 
Weitmarge,  March,  1741. 


Of  the  Reformed  congregation 
at  Falckner  Schwam, 
March,  1741. 


LETTER  OF  1741  817 

progress  in  this  case,  went  to  iMr.  Dorsius  and  asked  him  how 
this  case  stood.  His  Reverence  answered  among  other  things, 
that  he  could  not  do  anything  in  this  affair,  the  Governor  had 
it  in  his  hand.  Then  we  went  to  the  Governor  and  asked  him 
whether  he  had  the  affair  in  hand,  whereupon  the  Governor 
answered  that  he  knew  nothing  of  it,  that  it  might  possibly  be 
in  the  hands  of  the  Secretary.  Then  we  went  to  the  Secretary, 
Mr.  Pitters^"'^  [Peters],  and  asked  him  whether  he  had  the  case 
concerning  said  money  in  hand.  He  answered  in  the  affirma- 
tive and  immediately  read  the  case  to  us.  From  it  we  saw 
that  the  case  should  justly  have  had  a  better  representative. 
When  we  asked  the  reasons  why  there  was  no  progress,  he  said 
that  it  had  not  yet  been  handed  to  an  attorney.  And  thus  the 
case  stands  yet  to-day,  as  far  as  we  know,  which  we  hereby 
attest. 

I  testify  to  everything  stated  above, 

Wekdel  Brechbiehl,  former  church  elder. 

I  testify  to  that  which  Mr.  Dorsius  said, 

Valentin  Beyer,  active  elder. 

I  testify  to  that  which  Mt.  Dorsius  said, 

Jacob  Walter,  deacon. 

I  testify  to  everything  stated  above, 

Jacob  Maac,  active  elder. 

This  is  enclosed  by  us,  whose  names  are  signed  above,  so 
that  the  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam  may  see  what  is  done 
here  with  the  collection  money.  This  was  written  in  March, 
1741. 

'*' This  was  the  Rev.  Richard  Peters,  born  about  1704,  son  of 
Ralph  Peter,  town  clerk  of  Liverpool.  He  took  orders  as  deacrn 
in  1730,  as  priest  in  1731,  at  Chelsea.  He  married  December  25,  1734, 
Miss  Stanley.  He  came  to  Pennsylvania  in  1735.  He  became  assist- 
ant to  the  Rev.  Archibald  Cummings,  rector  of  Christ  Church,  Phila- 
delphia. After  the  death  of  the  latter  his  friends  failed  to  secure 
his  appointment  as  rector.  He  became  Secretary  of  the  Province  and 
Clerk  of  Council,  being  appointed  February  14,  1743.  In  1749  he 
became  a  member  of  the  Provincial  Council.  In  1762  he  resigned 
his  clerkship  and  was  then  elected.  December  ('.  1762.  rector  of 
Christ  Church.  He  resigned  his  rectorship  September  23,  1775.  He 
died  July  10,  1776.  See  Keith,  Proinncial  Councillors  of  Pennsylvania, 
pp.  235-241. 


318  LETTERS  OF  BOEHxM 

[XXX.    MR.    BOEHM    TO    THE    CLASSIS    OF   AMSTERDAM, 
JULY  25,  mV] 

Very  Reverend,  Very  Learned  and  Devout  Gentlemen,  Deputies 
of  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam: — 

The  following  letters,  sent  to  me  by  your  Reverences,  were 
received  by  me,  namely : 

1.  A  letter  written  by  the  reverend  gentlemen,  Messrs. 
John  Plantinus  and  Eogarten,  Deputies  of  the  Classis  in  1739,^^* 
in  which  it  is  stated  that  the  Reverend  Classis  has  learned  of 
our  lamentable  condition,  from  others  as  well  as  from  ourselves, 
and  that  the  Classis  sympathizes  with  us  and  will  try  to  help  us. 
Moreover,  the  cause  is  given  why  the  inclination  of  the  Classis 
was  withdrawn  for  a  time,  namely  on  account  of  accusations 
against  me.  Therefore  the  Classis  desires  me  to  produce  testi- 
mony by  reputable  members  of  the  congregation,  in  my  defense. 

Finally,  I  am  admonished  to  watch  against  all  kinds  of 
sectarians  and  also  against  the  IMoravians.  To  this  end  the 
Pastoral  Letter,  written  by  the  Reverend  Classis,  was  sent  to 
me,  etc. 

2.  The  letter  of  the  reverend  gentlemen,  Messrs.  John 
Plantinus  and  Tyberius  Reytsma,  Deputies  of  the  Classis,  dated 
April  I,  1740,"^  from  which  I  learn  that  the  Reverend  Classis 
received  my  submissive  letter  of  March  13,  1739,^°^  and  that 
my  submissive  reports,  contained  therein,  had  been  received 
with  high  favor,  and  it  had  been  regarded  with  high  pleasure 
that  I  was  willing  to  comply  with  the  written  request  of  his 
Reverence,  Do.  Dorsius,  in  reporting  to  him  the  condition  of 
the  congregations  entrusted  to  me.  I  was,  moreover,  admon- 
ished to  continue  henceforth  in  harmony  and  union  with  his 
Reverence,  Mr.  Dorsius,  to  extend  the  kingdom  of  Jesus.  For 
this  praise  I  am  thankful  to  the  Reverend  Classis.  I  was  also 
notified  that  the  Reverend  Classis  had  graciously  answered  all 
my  letters  of  1739,  and  the  hope  was  expressed  that  I  had  re- 

^■^  The  German  original  is  in   the   Classical  Archives. 

'^  Printed  above,  pp.  201-2U2. 

'"'Also  printed  above,  pp.  298-300. 

"'  Boehm's  letter  of  March  16,  1739,  with  postscript  dated  March 
18,  1739,  must  be  meant.  See  above,  p.  2G2ff.  It  is  the  only  letter  of 
March,  1739,  which  arrived  in   Holland. 


LETTER  OF  1741  319 

ceived  them,  and  that  the  Reverend  Classis  has  taken  to  heart 
my  miserable  condition.  The  Reverend  Classis  also  promises 
graciously  to  attend  to  my  request  concerning  the  church  prop- 
erty [at  Skippack],  at  the  coming  Christian  Synod  of  North 
Holland  of  the  year  1740.  It  would  be  a  great  loss  to  the  con- 
gregation if  it  were  to  lose  the  property,  but  the  Classis  enter- 
tains good  hope. 

Finally,  in  a  postscript :  "Enclosed  a  book  of  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Kulenkamp,^^^  sent  at  the  request  of  the  Reverend  Con- 
sistory at  Amsterdam,  for  your  use  and  for  the  reverend  min- 
isters in  Pennsylvania.    Meanwhile  the  Reverend  Classis  sends 

to  your  support  in  your  poverty  the  sum  of  florins,^"" 

mentioned  in  the  other  letter,"  of  which  the  draft  is  wanting. 

3.  A  letter  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Tyberius  Reytsma,  Deputy  of 
the  Classis,  dated  August  3,  1740,^°^  in  which  was  enclosed  a 
draft  to  the  amount  of  £46.5.3,  New  York  currency.  This  sum 
was  collected  by  the  churches  belonging  to  the  Reverend 
Classis  of  Amsterdam,  in  order  to  cheer  me.  I  was  informed 
that  a  package  wath  two  letters,  written  to  me  in  the  name 
of  the  Reverend  Classis,  had  been  sent  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Boel, 
minister  at  New  York,  from  whom  I  might  obtain  them,  giving 
also  an  order  that  he  might  receive  the  money  for  me.  It  was 
further  stated  that  the  Reverend  Deputies  of  the  Classis  had 
received  my  last  letters  and  had  given  them  to  the  translator. 
It  was  also  promised  that  a  gracious  answer  would  be  given 
to  them  at  the  first  opportunity,  and  that  I  would  be  informed 
what  the  Christian  Synod  of  North  Holland  had  transacted 
and  resolved  for  the  welfare  and  spread  of  our  churches  in 
Pennsylvania. 

4.  Another  letter  by  the  Rev.  Air.  Tyberius  Reytsma, 
Deputy  of  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  dated  August  31,  1740, 

^A  copy  of  this  rare  book  is  in  the  possession  of  the  Rev.  Dr. 
J.  I.  Good.  It  is  the  main  source  from  which  Boehm  drew  his  in- 
formation about  the  Moravians,  which  he  used  in  his  book  published 
against  them  in  1742. 

'"The  exact  amount  of  florins  is  omitted  in  the  original.  The 
minutes  of  the  Classis  state  that  it  was  H.  309,  or  $123.60. 

*"  The  letters  of  the  Classical  Deputies,  dated  August  3  and 
August  31,  1740,  are  no  longer  in  existence.  Xo  copies  were  entered 
into  the  Classical  letter-book. 


320  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

in  which  was  enclosed  a  second  draft,  for  use  in  case  the  first 
had  been  lost.  In  this  letter  I  was  assured  that  the  letter  sent 
by  Do.  Wilhelmi-"-  should  be  investigated  at  my  earnest  re- 
quest. The  hope  was  expressed  that  the  contribution,  sent  by 
the  Reverend  Classis  to  comfort  me  in  my  burdensome  service, 
might  tend  to  keep  me  in  the  service  of  the  Church  of  Christ. 
In  consideration  of  all  this,  I  have  regarded  it  as  my  duty 
not  to  fail  in  duly  answering  again  and  in  handing  in  a  further 
submissive  report : 

1.  I  return  thanks  unto  God,  the  Father  of  all  mercy,  from 
the  depth  of  my  heart,  and  will  not  cease  to  praise  His  name, 
that  He  rules  so  powerfully  the  hearts  of  our  devout  Church 
Fathers  and  inclines  them  toward  us  poor  church  members. 
Yea,  I  shall  continually  call  upon  Him,  because  He  will  at  last 
permit  me  to  see  the  growth  of  His  churches  here,  so  that  His 
name  may  be  glorified  more  and  more  among  us  to  His  praise 
and  the  salvation  of  many  souls. 

I  have  left  it  to  all  my  fellow-brethren  and  elders  (as  it 
was  required  by  the  Reverend  Classis),  to  defend  me,-"^  ac- 
cording to  their  conscience  and  in  conformity  with  their  duty 
against  the  many  harsh  calumnies  and  untruths  of  malevolent 
people. 

For  the  admonition  of  my  devout  Church  Fathers  I  re- 
turn, next  to  God,  the  great  Ruler,  to  you  most  humble  thanks. 
I  hope  that  you  will  never  hear  anything  else  said  about  me 
truthfully  but  that  I  have  labored,  to  the  best  of  my  ability,  in 
the  work  entrusted  to  me.  and  I  hope,  through  the  grace  of 
God,  to  continue  therein  until  the  end.  I  cannot  prevent 
slanders,  but  I  rejoice  that  the  Lord  knoweth  my  heart  and 
that  He  will  not  sufifer  the  innocence  of  any  of  His  people  to 
be  hidden. 

2.  It  causes  me  the  greatest  pleasure  that  the  Reverend 
Classis  was  so  much  pleased  with  my  true  and  dutiful  report 
concerning  the  condition  of  our  churches  here.  But  what 
[trouble]  it  has  caused  me  here,  the  Reverend  Classis  can  learn 
from  the  enclosed,  marked  A.     For  after  I  had  handed  in  the 

""'For  this  letter  of  Wilhelmi.  see  above,  pp.  303-311. 
"'For  this  letter  of  defense,  dated  March  3,  1741,  see  above,  pp. 
311-317. 


LETTER  OF  1741  321 

report  to  his  Reverence,  Mr.  Dorsius,  and  the  letters  were  sent 
off,  I  came  to  his  Reverence  and  asked  him  whether  the  report 
had  been  sent  over,  his  Reverence  answered:  No,  he  had  it 
in  his  trunk,  but  he  had  written  to  the  Christian  Synods  in 
regard  to  those  things,  etc.  I  did  not  Uke  this,  for  I  had  been 
riding  through  the  country  about  300  miles  in  the  severest 
winter  season.  We  had  some  words  between  us;  however, 
nothing  unseemly.  Among  other  things  his  Reverence  re- 
marked, the  affair  had  been  entrusted  to  him  and  he  knew 
what  to  do.  He  had  kept  the  report  for  his  own  safety.  To 
which  I  answered :  "To  me  it  does  not  seem  well  that  the 
light  which  makes  clear  the  whole  condition  of  our  congrega- 
tions to  our  devout  Church  Fathers,  who  manifest  such  a  holy 
concern  for  our  churches,  should  be  seen  by  your  Reverence 
only  and  kept  in  your  trunk,  and  not  be  brought  to  those  who 
desire  to  see  it ;  for  it  seems  to  me  that  the  report,  together 
with  your  additional  report,  should  have  been  sent  to  them," 
etc.2o< 

I  was,  therefore,  glad  that  I  did  what  I  did,  and  I  hope 
that  the  report  will  come  to  your  notice  in  this  way.  However, 
the  words  of  his  Reverence  (which  he  uttered  at  another  oc- 
casion) caused  me  serious  thoughts,  namely,  that  the  affair  had 
been  given  over  and  entrusted  to  him  by  the  two  Christian 
Synods,  and  that  no  one  else's  letters  (from  whatever  source 
they  might  come)  would  be  considered,  but  they  would  be  laid 
aside,  except  what  he  would  write  would  be  accepted,  etc. 
I  do  not  know  whether  his  Reverence  has  later  on  transmitted 
the  report  in  the  original.  That  may  be  as  it  will,  for  I  always 
make  two  copies  of  such  important  documents  and  have  them 
also  signed  personally,  so  that  in  case  of  attack  I  am  safe- 
guarded. 

In  the  meantime  some  men  from  Goschenhoppen  came  to 
me  and  asked  whether  the  reports  had  been  sent  away  by  his 
Reverence,  Mr.  Dorsius.  I  answered  that  his  Reverence  had 
told  me  they  were  still  in  his  trunk,  but  his  Reverence  had 

***  Mr.  Boehm  had  good  reason  to  complain,  for  as  he  had  ex- 
pected, at  the  North  Holland  Synod  of  1740,  Dorsius  received  all  the 
credit  and  commendation  for  the  "accurate"  report  he  had  sent  over. 
That  it  was  Boehm's  report  he  had  failed  to  state. 

21 


322  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

written,  in  his  own  words,  about  them  to  Holland.  When  his 
Reverence  visited  these  people,  as  is  shown  in  the  above-men- 
tioned enclosure,  marked  A,  they  asked  him  also.  He  answered 
in  the  affirmative,  whereupon  these  people  asked,  whom  they 
should  believe,  Boehm  said  no,  and  his  Reverence  yes?  Then 
he  began  immediately  to  scold  in  such  terms  as  is  stated  in  the 
enclosure  and  other  unnecessary  talk. 

Now,  since  his  Reverence  has  not  only  injured  me,  al- 
though I  was  entirely  innocent  and  did  not  mean  any  harm, 
but  also  the  respect  of  my  devout  Church  Fathers,  according 
to  whose  orders  I  received  holy  ordination  from  the  Reverend 
Ministers  of  New  York,  in  your  name,  and  was  installed  in 
the  holy  service,  therefore  I  consider  it  unpardonable  to  re- 
main silent  about  it,  but  I  handed  my  letter,  in  February,  1740, 
to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Boel,  minister  in  New  York,  when  I  lately 
received  my  letters  from  him.  I  also  handed  to  him  the  de- 
fense of  my  brethren,  the  elders  then  in  office,  enclosed  here- 
with, marked  B. 

But,  since  I  am  uncertain  whether  the  letters  will  arrive 
and  whether  his  Reverence,  Mr.  Dorsius,  will  accuse  me  before 
my  devout  Church  Fathers,  or  perhaps  has  already  done  so 
(for  my  bitterest  enemies,  as  Diemer  and  the  Hillegass 
brothers,  are  generally  in  his  company  when  he  comes  to  Phila- 
delphia), and  I  can  hardly  believe  that  his  Reverence  is  ignor- 
ant of  the  slanders  against  me,  which  have  also  been  sent  to 
Holland,  I,  therefore,  deemed  it  necessary  to  give,  very  sub- 
missively, a  true  report  of  how  it  happened  and  also  my  de- 
fense against  it.  In  all  this  my  devout  Church  Fathers  can 
see  how  I  must  suffer,  almost  beyond  measure.  But  on  this 
account  no  one  shall  take  away  my  courage  and  prevent  me 
from  working  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord,  as  far  as  it  is  en- 
trusted to  me,  and  as  long  as  my  strength  permits,  whereunto 
God  may  grant  me  grace,  according  to  His  mercy.  If,  how- 
ever, his  Reverence  should  not  be  satisfied,  then  he  must  bring 
authentic  proof  how  I  wronged  him,  for  my  joy  and  hope 
with  regard  to  him  was  very  great  and  I  thought  assuredly  his 
deeds  would  correspond  to  his  words,  but  now  a  great  addi- 
tional burden  and  affliction  has  been  caused  by  him.  For  the 
derision  that  followed  his  words,  as  given  in  the  testimonial 
[Enclosure  A],  directed  both  against  himself  and  me,  by  men 


LETTER  OF  1741  '  323 

of  all  kinds  of  opinions,  of  whom  many  were  present,  cannot 
be  described.  However,  I  shall  bear  it  with  patience  and 
leave  it  to  my  devout  Church  Fathers  and  their  wise  judg- 
ment. 

Regarding  the  statement  that  the  Reverend  Classis 
answered  graciously  all  my  letters  of  the  year  1739  ^"d  hopes 
that  the  answers  were  received  by  me,  I  want  to  say  that  thus 
far  I  have  seen  nothing  dated  1739,  save  the  letter  mentioned 
in  the  beginning  [under  No.  i],  which  had  remained  behind 
(according  to  the  postscript  of  his  Reverence,  Mr.  Reytsma) 
and  was  enclosed  with  these  letters.  Therefore  I  ask  respect- 
fully to  let  me  know  whether  the  Reverend  Classis  sent  me 
something  else  besides  this,  through  whom  it  was  sent  and  to 
whom  it  was  addressed,  so  that  I  may  be  able  to  inquire. 

The  book  of  the  Rev.  Air.  Kulenkamp,  together  with  the 
Pastoral  Letter  of  the  Reverend  Consistory  of  Amsterdam. 
against  the  heretical  teachings  of  the  Moravians,  I  received, 
together  with  the  other  letters,  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  Boel  in 
New  York,  on  December  16,  1740.  I  am  heartily  grateful  for 
this  book  and  the  letter,  which  I  regard  as  an  invaluable  jewel. 
It  is  necessary  to  use  them  here,  for  not  only  these  (which 
have  not  much  influence  as  yet),  but  countless  other  errors 
are  found  here.  May  the  grace  of  Jesus  Christ  be  further 
with  this  reverend  and  devout  man,  strengthen  him  and  reward 
him  eternally  for  his  faithful  work,  which  defends  powerfully 
the  glory  of  God  and  His  holy  Word. 

3.  Regarding  the  third  letter.  For  the  draft  enclosed 
therein,  I  received  the  money  soon  after  presenting  the  same, 
from  Mr.  David  Clarkson  in  New  York,  his  Reverence,  Mr. 
Boel  accompanying  me  thither.  For  it  I  return  hearty  and 
humble  thanks  to  the  Reverend  Classis,  as  well  as  for  its  care. 
May  the  good  Lord  bless  likewise  every  benefactor  for  it,  here 
temporally  and  hereafter  eternally. 

I  am  now  expecting  with  yearning  desire  the  promised 
answer^"^  to  my  last  submissive  letters.    May  the  gracious  God 

**'This  promised  answer  was  apparently  never  given.  The 
Classical  letter-book  has  no  letters  addressed  to  Boehm  in  1741  and 
1742.  The  next  letter  of  Classis  addressed  to  Boehm  was  dated  May 
9.  1743.     It  answered  Boehm's  letter  of  1742.     See  p.  372f. 


324  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

soon  grant  us  the  joy  of  hearing  that  good  resolutions  have 
been  agreed  upon  for  His  Church  here.  We  heartily  long  for 
it,  so  that  His  honor  may  be  great  in  this  country  also,  and  the 
Gospel  of  His  beloved  Son  may  be  propogated  and  spread 
among  us  more  and  more. 

4.  Concerning  the  fourth  letter.  It  would  be  useful,  if 
anything  perchance  be  found  regarding  Do.  Wilhelmi's  letter, 
to  make  it  known  to  all  the  congregations  here,  for  the  party 
of  Reifif  and  several  other  parties  similar  to  it,  depend  upon 
it  to  this  day  and  do  whatever  they  desire.  For,  when  Goetschi 
left  Schip  Bach,  the  party  of  Reiff  immediately  accepted 
another  man  in  his  place  for  the  church  which  is  built  on 
the  property  of  Reiff.  His  name  is  John  William  Straub,  who 
was  schoolmaster  in  the  Electoral  Palatinate,  in  the  village  of 
Gronau.  There  he  committed  adultery  and  was,  therefore,  de- 
posed and  then  he  came  to  this  country.  Notwithstanding  this, 
the  party  of  Reiff  uses  as  its  minister  this  shameless  man,  who 
besides  is  a  drunkard.  He  preaches  for  them,  administers  the 
Lord's  Supper,  baptizes  their  children  and  officiates  at  marri- 
ages. Thus  this  congregation,  divided  through  Weis  in  the 
year  1728,  and  kept  in  division  and  discord  through  Miller, 
Rieger  and  Goetchi  in  succession,  is  at  present  continued  in  the 
same  condition  by  this  infamous  man,  all  of  which  I  am  com- 
pelled to  witness  with  great  grief  of  soul,  because  as  yet  no 
protection  from  the  secular  government  is  granted  to  us  by  the 
good  Lord  for  our  church  and  its  order.  This  would  perhaps 
be  one  of  the  most  essential  elements  for  the  promotion  of  the 
whole  work  of  God,  if  it  could  be  brought  about  by  our  devout 
Church  Fathers,  through  the  gracious  help  of  God. 

When  about  a  year  ago  I  met  Mr.  Dorsius,  I  complained 
to  him  of  these  things  and  asked  him  to  assist  me  in  the  effort 
to  determine  whether  such  vile  people  could  not  be  restrained 
from  doing  such  things.  But  his  Reverence  declined  with  the 
following  words :  "We  live  here  in  such  a  country  that  I  can- 
not do  anything  against  it."  This  evil  and  all  the  disgraceful 
things  of  the  self-willed  and  ignorant  people  have  no  other 
source  than  the  letter  sent  by  Do.  Wilhelmi,  which  says  dis- 
tinctly that  in  this  country  one  need  not  consult  anybody  in 
regard  to  church  affairs,  but  every  one  is  at  liberty  to  do  as  he 
pleases.     It  seems  to  me  that  my  sending  over  [a  copy  of] 


LETTER  OF  1741  325 

this  letter  accounts  largely  for  the  ill-will  which  his  Reverence, 
Air.  Dorsius  bears  me.  For,  after  I  had  secured  this  letter 
from  Mr.  Goetschi,  after  many  efforts,  and  it  became  known  to 
Mr.  Dorsius,  Goetschi  came  directly  to  me,  brought  me  greet- 
ings and  implored  me  to  give  him  the  letter  again,  under  all 
kinds  of  pretexts.  He  also  said  that  the  Inspector,  Mr. 
Dorsius,  deemed  it  advisable  to  return  the  letter  to  the  people, 
otherwise  trouble  might  arise.  But  I  thought  that  they  were 
trying  to  make  the  letter  disappear.  I  declined,  therefore,  in 
a  friendly  way  and  retained  the  letter.  Now,  whether  his 
Reverence,  Mr.  Dorsius,  is  also  of  the  opinion  that  every  one 
in  this  country  may  do  as  he  pleases,  I  leave  to  men  endowed 
with  wisdom  to  find  out.  For  his  Reverence  ordained  this 
young  Goetschi,  who  caused  so  much  harm  here  with  the 
assistance  of  disorderly  people  and  by  the  arbitrary  trans- 
gression of  our  Reformed  Church  Order  and  customs.  This 
ordination  took  place,  after  he  had  left  Goschenhoppen  and 
had  lived  half  a  mile  from  his  Reverence  and  studied  under 
him  for  one  year,  on  the  7th  of  April  last  [1741],  with  the 
assistance  of  Do.  Fruhlinghausen  of  Randany  [Raritan]  and 
of  another  man,  whose  name  I  have  not  been  able  to  find  out 
as  yet.  But,  as  far  as  I  have  heard,  he  is  said  to  have  been 
one  of  the  Tennents,-°®  who  are  of  the  Weitfield  followers, 
otherwise  called  Presbyterians.  I  shall  try  to  obtain  certainty. 
This  Goetschi,  as  reported  in  my  last  submissive  letter,  asked 
indeed  for  my  forgiveness,  in  the  presence  of  Mr.  Dorsius,  of 
all  the  wrongs  committed  against  me,  and  promised  to  live  ac- 
cording to  order.  This  occurred  on  the  21st  of  February,  1740. 
But  what  he  did  soon  afterwards  (and  it  can  hardly  be  thought 
that  he  did  it  without  the  knowledge  of  his  Reverence,  Mr. 

"'In  his  report  of  1744  (see  p.  419)  Boehm  confirms  this  state- 
ment here  that  it  was  one  of  Tennents  who  assisted  in  Goetschy's  or- 
dination. As  Frelinghuisen  was  associated  in  his  revivalistic  work, 
with  Gilbert  Tennent,  Presbyterian  pastor  at  New  Brunswick,  N.  J. 
(See  Eccl.  Records  of  N.  Y.,  Vol.  IV,  pp.  2557,  2569,  2587),  he  was 
most  likely  the  third  minister  in  this  transaction.  When  this  ordina- 
tion was  reported  to  Holland  the  Fathers  refused  to  recognize  it  as 
valid,  and  before  he  was  received  into  the  Coetus  of  New  York, 
Goetschy  had  to  submit  to  an  examination  and  reordination,  which 
took  place  in  September,  1748.  See  Acts  of  Dutch  Reformed  Church, 
Vol.  I,  p.  XXIIIf. 


326  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

Dorsius)  may  be  seen  from  the  enclosure  marked  C.  He  like- 
wise made  two  oral  offers  to  my  regular  congregation  in  Oly 
(according  to  their  testimony),  whereby  this  congregation  also 
was  separated  and  divided. 

Mr.  Bartholomew  Rieger  also  did  the  same,  who  on  account 
of  his  former  offense  would  not  have  been  accepted  as  min- 
ister at  AmwelP*'"  [N.  J.],  if  he  had  not  given  me  full  satis- 
faction, on  account  of  his  scandalous  conduct,  shown  in  break- 
ing into  my  congregations;  and  if  my  own  letter  had  not  shown 
that  such  [satisfaction]  had  taken  place.  He  complied  with 
this  condition,  as  appears  from  the  enclosed  copy,  marked  D. 
Notwithstanding  this,  he  has  not  been  ashamed  to  act  against 
his  pledge  and  promise  in  the  congregation  at  Dolpihacken, 
without  speaking  to  me  about  it  beforehand.-'^®    He  also  (like 

'"  After  having  been  pastor  of  the  Reformed  congregations  of 
Philadelphia,  Germantown  and  Skippack,  1731-1734,  Rieger  became 
pastor  at  Amwell,  N.  J.,  now  the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Ringoes, 
Hunterdon  County,  N.  J.  See  Chambers,  Germans  in  New  Jersey,  p. 
lOof.  There  he  stayed,  probably  till  1738.  In  1739  he  moved  to  Lan- 
caster, where  he  baptized  the  first  child  on  April  22,  1739.  His  min- 
istry at  Lancaster  extended  from  April,  1739,  till  February,  1743. 

""'  In  corroboration  of  this  complaint,  Boehm  added  the  follow- 
ing signed  statement  from  two  Tulpehocken  members : 

"Mr.  Earth.  Rieger,  whom  the  people  in  Canestocka,  in  the  new 
city,  had  hired  for  two  years  as  their  preacher,  and  whose  time  was 
up,  at  the  request  of  several  obnoxious  persons,  came  to  Tolbenhacken 
in  the  month  of  April,  1741,  and  preached  there  in  one  of  the  congre- 
gations. Among  all  kinds  of  expressions  used  by  him,  Mr.  Rieger,  in 
the  presence  of  Simon  Schirmann,  a  former  elder,  were  these:  'What 
do  you  think  if  you  were  in  a  city  in  which  were  a  pious  and  godly 
Lutheran  preacher  and  an  ungodly  Reformed  preacher,  with  whom 
would  you  go  to  the  Lord's  Supper?  Would  you  not  rather  go  to  the 
Lutheran  preacher  than  to  the  Reformed'?  Whereupon  Schirmann 
answered:  T  would  dislike  doing  that.  I  would  rather  go  to  none 
than  to  a  preacher  of  another  religion.'  But  Rieger  said  he  would 
do  that  and  not  feel  any  scruples  of  conscience  about  it.  Whereupon 
George  Meyer  replied:  T  don't  know  about  that,  Mr.  Rieger,  I  have 
once  sworn  by  the  bloody  banner  of  Jesus  to  live  and  die  in  my  Re- 
formed religion,  and  I  would  regard  it  as  perjury  and  apostasy.  I 
could  never  do  it.'  Whereupon  Rieger  said  to  this  G.  Meyer:  'I 
would  not  go  with  you  at  all,  because  you  are  a  sinner.'  What  conse- 
quences will  result  from  such  talk  for  the  growth  of  our  Reformed 
churches,  especially  when  the  one  who  engages  in  it  pretends  to  be  a 
teacher,   we  leave   to   every    well-grounded   Reformed    member.     That 


LETTER  OF  1741  327 

Goetschi)  has  done  considerable  harm  to  this  congregation, 
whereby  the  communion  was  noticeably  decreased.  Mean- 
while I  attended  to  my  work  in  spite  of  all  this,  because  these 
things  were  carried  on  behind  my  back  and  it  was  also  desired 
of  me,  and  I  went  there  again  at  the  appointed  time.  How- 
ever, it  caused  a  harmful  rupture  in  the  congregation.  But 
thus  far  they  have  seen  neither  Goetschi  nor  his  Reverence, 
Mr.  Dorsius. 

The  intention  of  Mr.  George  Michael  Weis  may  be  learnt 
from  the  accompanying  copy,  marked  F.  This  account  he 
made  at  the  time  mentioned  therein  and  he,  together  with  his 
accomplice,  J.  Reiff,  had  the  supposed  elders  of  the  party  of 
J.  Reiff,  inexperienced  men,  come  together  and  told  them  the 
Reverend  Classis  desired  an  account  of  the  collection-money, 
so  that  the  money  which  was  still  in  Holland  might  also  be 
sent.  For  this  purpose  he  and  Reiff  had  made  up  the  account 
and  they  [the  elders]  had  to  sign  it  only.  Then  [he  said] 
he  would  soon  send  it  over  to  Holland  and  the  money  still 
there  would  soon  arrive.  If  it  had  not  been  for  one  man, 
who  was  present  and  experienced  in  such  things,  they  would 
have  secured  the  signatures,  for  these  people  had  already  the 
pen  in  hand.  But  that  man  frustrated  their  plan.  They, 
however,  took  copies  of  the  account,  but  returned  to  Mr. 
Weis  the  original  written  by  his  own  hand.  (That  was  a  mis- 
take.) At  that  time  I  knew  of  it,  but  could  secure  no  evidence 
of  it,  because  they  all  belonged  to  the  party  of  Reiff.  I  have 
now  obtained  the  copy  through  the  man  who  preserved  it, 
who  has  become  my  friend.  He  is  a  truthful  man,  who  told 
me  everything  that  took  place,  which  would  be  too  much  to 
relate. 

However,  I  shall  mention  this:  When  Mr.  Weis  spoke 
to  them  about  the  account,  that  the  people  in  Holland  had 

the    above-mentioned    conversation    took    place    as    stated,    we    testify 
upon  our  conscience  and  by  the  signatures  of  our  hands. 
"Given  at  Dolbenhacken, 
"May  3,  1741. 

"I  testify  to  this, 

"Simon   Schirman. 
"I  testify  to  this, 

"George  Uxruh,  elder." 


328  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

asked  for  it,  he  said,  the  Reverend  Classis  had  written  to  him, 
the  letter  was  in  Philadelphia  and  he  was  sorry  he  had  for- 
gotten it,  for  otherwise  he  would  have  showed  it  to  them."* 
Reiff  heard  this,  said  nothing,  but  commissioned  a  man  to  go 
to  Philadelphia  and  ask  for  the  letter  in  the  name  of  Weis 
and  bring  it  to  him,  Reiff.    The  man  succeeded  and  did  as  he 
was  told.     When  Reiff  read  the  letter,  it  was  found  therein 
(as  three  men  told  me)   that  Weis  should  think  the  matter 
over  and  straighten  out  the  affair  of  the  collection-money,  for 
Reiff  could  not  be  forced,  since  he,  Weis,  was  the  recipient  of 
the  money  and,  therefore,  had  to  answer  for  it.     Then  Reiff 
laughed  and  said  to  the  people:    "See  here  is  the  proof  that 
I  owe  you  nothing,  you  must  try  to  get  it  from  Weis  and 
whatever  Weis  can  prove  that  I  owe  him,  for  that  I  shall 
answer  and  make  it  all  right  with  him."    It  is  this  upon  which 
Reiff  depends,  for  Weis  does  not  have  one  single  syllable  stat- 
ing that  Reiff  received  money  from  him.     Meanwhile  Reiff 
kept  this  letter  and  still  has  it  in  his  possession.     Moreover, 
I   learned  that   Reiff  used   the   following  expressions :     "As 
much  as  the  account  shows  so  much  have  I  spent,  whether 
they  sign  it  or  not,  I  do  not  care,  and,  if  it  comes  to  a  test,  I 
want  to  know  who  is  to  pay  the  money  spent  lavishly  and  the 
expenses."    Is  that  seeking  the  welfare  of  the  Church  of  Christ 
and  faithful  service?     Let  every  member  of  the  Church  and 
every  pious  soul,  who  in   faith  loves  Jesus  and  His  Word, 
judge.     This  account  is  also  proof  of  cunning  unfaithfulness. 
For,  in  addition  to  the  unnecessary  squandering  of  money, 
Weis  asks  50  pounds  for  his  labor  and  trouble.     In  addition 
the  N,  B.2^°  ought  to  be  noted.     Furthermore,  the  victuals 
mentioned  under  item  one  are  not  specified,  how  much,  nor 
is  it  stated  what  Reiff  demands  for  his  labor  and  trouble.     It 
seems  that  this  has  been  kept  back,  so  that  in  case  a  surplus 
be  left,  it  might  be  used  to  strike  an  even  balance. 

Reverend  Gentlemen,  I  should  be  sorry  if  I  knew  that  by 
my  submissive  letter  I  was  causing  you  vexation  and  trouble, 
but  I  cannot  help  it.    It  seems  to  me  that  I  must  give,  in  all 

*~  For  this  letter  of  the  Classis  to  Mr.  Weiss,  dated  October  1, 
1736,  see  Eccl.  Records  of  N.  ¥.,  Vol.  IV,  p.  2676. 

''°  N.   B,  stands   for  Nota  Bene,  equivalent  to  our  "postscript." 


LETTER  OF  1741  329 

humility,  to  my  devout  Church  Fathers  a  true  report  of  all 
things  which  to  my  mind  are  helpful  to  our  true  Church.  I, 
therefore,  cannot  omit  to  give  you  a  further  report  of  present 
events  as  follows: 

Our  Proprietor,  Mr.  Thomas  Penn,-^^  was  told  by  a  Re- 
formed man,  named  Jacob  SigeP^^  (to  whom  the  Proprietor 
is  well  inclined),  that  all  religions  and  sects  were  supplied  with 
churches  and  meeting  houses  in  Philadelphia,  and  we  Re- 
formed people  only  had  to  meet  in  a  hired  place,^^^  and  more- 

"' Thomas  Penn  (1702-75),  son  of  William  Penn,  succeeded  in 
1714  to  one-fourth  of  the  proprietorship  of  Pennsylvania.  In  1732 
he  went  to  Philadelphia  where  he  assumed  the  direction  of  the  colony 
until  the  arrival  of  this  elder  brother,  John,  in  1734.  After  his 
brother's  return  to  England,  Thomas  remained  in  the  colony,  where 
he  presided  at  Council  meetings.  In  1740  he  held  a  great  conference 
with  the  Indians.  In  1747,  upon  the  death  of  his  elder  brother,  he 
inherited  the  latter's  half  interest.  Then  he  returned  to  England  to 
take  charge  of  his  interests.  They  were  eventually  purchased  by  the 
Crown.     See  New  International  Encyclopedia. 

""' Jacob  Siegel  qualified  in  Philadelphia  September  27,  1727. 
His  will  was  signed  August  14,  1751.  It  was  probated  April  27,  1752. 
His  beneficiaries  were  his  widow,  Susannah  Siegel;  his  son,  Benja- 
min, and  his  daughter,  Catherine.  See  Register  of  Wills  Office,  Phila- 
delphia, Will  Book,  I,  p.  508. 

*"The  first  meeting  place  of  the  Reformed  people  in  Phila- 
delphia deserves  a  more  extended  notice.  In  1747,  Rev.  Michael 
Schlatter  wrote  in  the  church  record  of  the  congregation  the  following 
statement  regarding  it :  "Thus  far  the  congregation  has  worshipped 
in  a  small  old  house,  built  of  boards,  from  November,  1734,  together 
with  the  Lutheran  congregation,  at  first  every  other  Sunday,  later, 
when  the  Evangelicals  [Lutherans]  had  built  a  stone  church  in  the 
year  1744,  they  occupied  it  alone  and  paid  annually  to  Mr.  William 
Allen  the  sum  of  four  pounds  .  .  .  for  said  house  on  Arch  Street, 
near  the  Quaker  burying  ground."  Count  Zinzendorf  gives  an  account 
of  it  in  the  Biidingische  Sammlung,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  579:  "The  German 
Lutherans  in  Philadelphia  had  indeed  an  old  barn  fitted  up  for  their 
services,  and  in  order  to  save  money  they  had  left  to  the  Reformed 
people  every  fourth  Sunday  for  a  proportionate  sum."  Rev.  H.  M. 
Miihlenberg  (Selbstbiographie,  p.  128)  calls  it  "an  old  butcher  shop, 
which  Lutherans  and  Reformed  had  rented  together  for  worship." 
The  elders  of  the  Philadelphia  congregation  speak  of  it  (Weekly 
Mercury,  September  2,  1742)  as  "an  old  rotten  house  which  may  soon 
fall  to  pieces."  The  oldest  Lutheran  church  record  (preserved  in  the 
Historical    Society   of    Pennsylvania)    contains   an   account   of   repairs 


330  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

over,  our  contract  was  only  for  one  more  year  and  then  we 
would  again  be  at  a  loss  where  to  go.  Would  not  his  Honor 
be  so  kind  as  to  supply  us  with  a  place?  Whereupon  his 
Honor  answered :  "Until  now  nobody  has  asked  me  seriously 
about  this  matter.  Have  you  indeed  a  minister?"  Sigel 
answered  in  the  affirmative.  His  Honor  inquired  after  my 
name,  which  Sigel  told  him.  Fortunately  his  secretary,  Mr. 
Fitters  [Peters],  who  is  my  friend  was  present.  He  said  he 
knew  me  very  well.  Then  his  Honor  told  Sigel  to  bring  me 
and  another  man  of  the  congregation  to  him.  He  would  con- 
sider the  matter  and  let  us  know.  Then  Caspar  Ulrich,  a 
former  elder,  took  an  extra  horse  and  called  for  me  on  the 
following  day.  Now  when  I,  together  with  Caspar  Ulrich  and 
Sigel,  came  into  the  presence  of  his  Honor,  on  the  2nd  of 
June  last,  his  Honor  was  very  friendly  and  said,  he  had  given 
orders  to  his  general  surveyor  to  show  us  a  lot;  if  we  liked 
it,  we  should  have  it  directly.  The  lot  was  shown  to  us  im- 
mediately. It  is  a  place  within  the  city  limits,  150  feet  wide 
and  300  feet  long.  It  adjoins  one  of  the  main  streets  with  its 
narrow  end.  It  is  certainly  worth  200  pounds  (Pennsylvania 
currency ).^^*     His  Honor  offered  to  allow  us  at  the  other 

made  to  this  house  in  July,  1735,  as  follows : 

For  boards   £2  15  0 

To  the  carter   for  hauling 0  3  0 

For  hauling  lime 0  3  9 

To  the  carpenter 1  13  0 

For   shingles    0  2  6 

For  m  lbs.  of  nails,   from   Strohhauer 0  14  7 

For   12  lbs.  of  more  nails 0  10  0 

For  a  piece  of  wood 0  1  0 

For  whitewashing  the  schoolhouse  0  1  0 

For  carrying  the  benches  into  the  other  house 0  10 

For  beer  and  rum  during  the  work 0  8  8 

For    locksmith's    work 0  7  10 


Total    £7  1  5 


One  half  of  this £3  10  8i 

The  division  into  two  parts  shows  that  the  Lutherans  paid 
one-half  of  the  costs,  the  Reformed  the  other  half. 

"*0'n  June  18,  1741,  Mr.  Boehm  and  Jacob  Siegel  purchased  this 
lot,  now  in  the  northeast  corner  of  Franklin  Square,  of  John  Penn, 
Proprietary,  in   trust   for  and   for  the  use  of  the   German   Reformed 


LETTER  OF  1741  331 

narrow  end  a  small  street,  running  through  the  whole  square, 
so  that  we  could  enter  our  cemetery  from  all  sides.  When 
we  returned  to  his  Honor,  he  asked  us  how  we  liked  the 
place.  We  answered :  "Very  well,  but  the  place  would  be 
too  expensive  for  us,  for  we  had  a  poor  congregation,  as  his 
Honor  knew  perhaps."  We  inquired  what  his  Honor  would 
ask  for  the  lot.  His  Honor  was  thinking  about  it.  However, 
we  did  not  let  him  name  the  price,  but  said :  His  Honor 
should  treat  us  as  a  kind  Lord,  for  we  did  not  seek  our  own 
profit,  but  divine  service  and  we  were  not  inclined  to  bargain 
with  his  Honor,  but  if  possible  would  accept  his  terms.  Then 
his  Honor  said  in  a  very  friendly  manner:  "I  shall  not  sell 
you  this  lot  as  I  sell  other  lots.  Give  me  50  pounds  sterling 
and  annually  5  shillings  rent,  but  under  the  condition  that 
the  lot  will  always  be  used  by  your  congregation  and  for  di- 
vine service,  otherwise  the  lot  remains  my  property." 

Now,  since  we  saw  the  kind  disposition  of  his  Honor,  we 
thanked  him  humbly.  His  Honor  further  told  us,  if  he  could 
be  of  further  assistance  to  us  in  our  undertaking,  we  should 
apply  to  him.     Then  the  lot  was  surveyed.     But  now  the  poor 

congregation  in  Philadelphia  as  a  burying  ground.  The  price  was 
i50,  and  five  shillings  yearly  as  quit-rent.  See  D.  Van  Home,  History 
of  the  Reformed  Church  in  Philadelphia,  1876,  p.  20.  The  lot  was 
located  "between  Sixth  and  Seventh  Streets,  bounded  northward  by 
Vine  Street,  eastward  and  westward  by  vacancies  and  southward  by 
the  ends  of  Sassafras  Street  lots;  containing  in  length  north  and  south 
306  feet  and  in  breadth  east  and  west  150  feet."  The  congregation 
proceeded  at  once  to  use  it  as  a  burial  place.  An  examination  made 
in  1835  showed  that  the  oldest  tombstone  then  visible  was  dated  Decem- 
ber 14,  1742.  Unfortunately  Thomas  Penn  failed  to  consult  the 
original  maps  of  Philadelphia,  drawn  by  William  Penn,  who  had 
laid  out  this  land  as  a  part  of  a  public  square,  hence  difficulties  arose. 
The  burying  ground  was  gradually  enlarged  by  successive  purchases 
till,  in  1797,  the  whole  enclosure  extended  630  feet,  north  and  south,  by 
250  feet,  east  and  west.  These  encroachments  attracted  the  attention 
of  the  city  authorities  in  1797.  The  City  of  Philadelphia  then  brought 
suit  to  recover  possession  of  the  ground  in  question.  In  1836,  the  Su- 
preme Court  of  Pennsylvania  decided  that  the  Proprietary  Grant  of 
part  of  Franklin  Square  in  1741  to  a  religious  corporation  for  burial 
purposes  was  void.  (See  Commonwealth  vs.  Altburger  et  al.,  I  Whar- 
ton, 469.)  An  injustice  was,  however,  done  the  congregation,  because 
it  was  never  properly  compensated  for  the  loss  of  its  valuable  property, 
which  had  been  bought  in  good  faith. 


332  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

congregation  cannot  pay  anything.  However,  I  shall  see  to 
it,  that  his  Honor  will  be  patient  with  us  for  a  time  and  I 
shall  offer  him  to  pay  the  interest  of  the  debt,  so  that,  if  after  a 
given  time  his  Honor  is  not  paid  and  the  lot  cannot  remain 
for  divine  service,^^^  according  to  the  stipulated  condition,  we 
shall  not  make  money  on  it,  but  will  return  it  to  his  Honor, 
in  order  to  gain  time  for  further  deliberation.  My  purpose 
in  this  case  will  be  made  known  to  his  Honor.  To  me  it 
seems  inadvisable  to  allow  the  control  over  these  things  to 
come  into  the  hands  of  these  poor  and  inexperienced  people. 
Therefore,  I  think  that  when  any  donation  has  been  voted  or 
will  be  voted  to  the  church  here,  including  that  which  is  con- 
tributed by  charitable  gifts,  it  should  be  transferred  by  deed 
to  our  devout  Church  Fathers  as  their  property.  This  would 
insure,  in  the  first  place,  better  authority  for  obtaining  the 
absolutely  necessary  protection  of  the  government  for  our 
Church  and  its  ordinances.  Secondly,  ministers  would  not 
have  so  much  vexation  from  the  people,  if  they  had  no  voice 
in  the  matter.  For  if  the  people  rule,  every  vagabond  may 
cause  factions  and  all  kinds  of  mischief  and  we  can  never 
expect  peace.  This  can  be  guarded  against  if  no  minister 
can  reside  on  your  property  except  one  who  has  been  properly 
ordained  and  appointed  by  you.  I  shall  report  obediently  to 
my  devout  Church  Fathers  the  further  progress  of  this  affair, 
before  the  departure  of  his  Honor,  and  at  the  first  opportunity 
which  I  can  find. 

Finally  and  lastly.  Reverend  Gentlemen,  I  deem  it  neces- 
sary to  report  to  you  that  no  other  opinion  prevails  here  in 
Pennsylvania  than  that  we  shall  have,  according  to  all  indica- 
tions, a  royal  government  here  in  a  short  time.  To  this  end 
our  governor,  his  Excellency  Mr.  George  Thomas,"'"  works 

*"  This  lot  was  never  used  for  a  church,  but  only  for  a  cemetery. 
On  March  12,  1741,  the  church  lot  on  Race  Street  below  Fourth  was 
purchased  for  the  congregation  by  Peter  Wager.  It  was  49i  feet 
wide  on  Race  Street  and  204  feet  deep.  See  Van  Home,  1.  c,  p.  20; 
also  Recorder  of  Deeds  Office,  Philadelphia,  Book  D.  Vol.  IV,  pp. 
112-114. 

'"•  George  Thomas  was  a  planter  from  Antigua.  He  was  ap- 
pointed Deputy  Governor  in  the  summer  of  1737,  but  was  detained  in 
London  till  the   following  year,   assuming  the  duties  of  his  office  in 


LETTER  OF  1741  333 

most  strenuously.  Against  it  all  sects,  Quakers,  Dunkers,  Men- 
nonites  and  all  others  put  forth  all  their  efforts.  However, 
it  seems  that  the  Protestants  will  win.  On  October  i,  1740, 
there  was  a  great  tumult  in  Philadelphia,^"  as  it  was  election 

August,  1738.  In  1739,  serious  contentions  arose  between  the  Governor 
and  the  Assembly.  The  latter  refused  to  vote  money  for  military 
preparations  and  the  Governor  in  return  refused  to  sign  the  bills  passed 
by  the  Assembly.  In  1741,  a  reconciliation  w^as  effected  between  them. 
On  May  5,  1747,  the  Governor  informed  the  Assembly  of  the  death 
of  the  eldest  of  the  Proprietors,  John  Penn,  and,  at  the  same  time,  he 
announced  his  intention  of  resigning,  which  was  received  with  sincere 
regret.  He  was  capable  and  industrious,  but  too  zealous  for  the 
interests  of  the  proprietaries  and  the  crown.  This  brought  him  into 
conflict  with  the  strong  Quaker  element  in  the  colony.  "His  considerate 
forbearance  towards  the  Quakers,  during  the  latter  part  of  his  admin- 
istration was  rewarded  by  the  esteem  of  the  people  and  the  confidence 
of  the  legislature."  See  W.  C.  Armor,  Lives  of  the  Governors  of 
Pennsylvania,  Philadelphia,  1872,  pp.  141-145. 

"'The  newspapers  of  the  day  contain  no  notices  of  this  elec- 
tion riot,  but  two  years  later  the  election  -was  accompanied  by  serious 
rioting,  accounts  of  which  appeared  in  the  newspapers.  October  7,  1742, 
the  Pennsylvania  Gazette  gave  the  following  description  of  the  riot  on 
October  1,  1742 :  "In  this  city,  when  the  People  of  City  and  County 
were  assembled  in  the  Market  Place  and  had  just  begun  the  choice 
of  Inspectors,  a  Body  of  Sailors,  supposed  to  be  about  70  or  80, 
collected  from  several  ships  in  the  Harbour,  appeared  at  the  Foot  of 
Market  Street,  arm'd  with  Clubs,  and  huzzaing  march'd  up  in  a 
tumultuous  manner  towards  the  People.  As  they  were  mostly 
strangers,  and  had  no  kind  of  Right  to  intermeddle  with  the  Election, 
and  some  ill  Consequence  was  apprehended  if  they  should  be  suffered 
to  mix  with  their  Clubs  among  the  Inhabitants,  some  of  the  Magis- 
trates and  some  other  Persons  of  Note  met  them  and  endeavor'd  to 
prevail  with  them  to  return  peaceably  to  their  ships,  but  without  effect. 
For  they  fell  on  with  their  Clubs,  and  Knocking  down  Magistrates, 
Constables  and  all  others  who  oppos'd  'em,  fought  their  way  up  to  the 
Court  House  and  clear'd  the  Place  of  Election,  the  People  retiring 
into  the  Market  House  and  Second  Street  in  a  kind  of  a  maze  at  such 
unexpected  and  unusual  Treatment.  After  the  Sailors  had  triumph'd  a 
while  before  the  Court  House,  they  march'd  off,  and  the  People, 
without  pursuing  them,  continued  and  finished  their  Election  of  In- 
spectors, which  was  no  sooner  done  but  the  Sailors  returning  more 
numerous  and  furious  than  at  first,  fell  upon  the  people  a  second 
time,  and  knocked  down  all  that  came  a-near,  several  were  carried  off 
for  dead,  and  the  Confusion  and  terror  was  inexpressible.  But  the 
Inhabitants,  losing  at  length  all  Patience,  furnished  themselves  with 
sticks  from  the  neighboring  wood-piles,  and  turned  upon  the  Sailors, 


334  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

day  for  a  new  assembly,  through  which  the  governor  tried 
to  bring  about  his  purpose.  But  he  did  not  succeed.  The 
Protestant  country  people  were  so  prejudiced  by  the  Quakers 
and  other  sects,  which  told  them  of  all  kinds  of  hardships 
that  would  follow,  that  they,  therefore,  clung  to  the  old  liberty 
and  the  old  assembly.  A  large  part  of  them  were  persuaded 
by  these  arguments  and  gave  the  Quakers  a  plurality  of  128 
votes  against  the  new  assembly,  the  party  of  the  governor. 
His  Excellency  was  very  angry  about  it,  especially  with  the 
Germans. 

Our  Proprietor,  Mr.  Thomas  Penn,  agrees  with  our  Gov- 
ernor, also  a  few  prominent  Quakers.  I  hope  on  the  next 
election  day  it  will  be  different.  Aleanwhile  all  efforts  are 
put  forth  to  make  it  a  success,  for  the  German  people  will 
now  be  naturalized  in  a  different  way  than  formerly,  namely, 
by  order  of  the  King  and  Parliament.^"  They  must  take  an 
oath  which  was  given  to  me  in  High  German,  in  order  to  ex- 
plain it  to  the  people  of  Protestant  faith.  It  is  enclosed, 
marked  G,  May  Almighty  God  give  thereunto  His  grace.  For 
then  I  hope  to  see  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  succeed  in  this 
country.  Those  who  can  be  naturalized,  according  to  the  order 
of  King  and  Parliament,  must  have  lived  seven  consecutive 
years  in  Pennsylvania.  They  must  be  of  the  Protestant  religion, 
and  must  produce  a  certificate  from  their  minister  that  they 
have  received  the  Holy  Communion  not  more  than  three  months 
before,  li  this  is  found  to  be  true,  they  are  accepted,  otherwise 
not.    They  must  take  an  oath  on  these  points.    On  the  loth  of 

who  immediately  fled  to  their  ships,  and  hid  themselves,  from  whence 
they  were  drag'd  out  one  by  one,  and  before  night  near  50  of  them 
were  committed  to  Prison.  A  good  Watch  was  Kept  that  Night  to 
prevent  any  new  tumult,  and  the  city  has  ever  since  been  quiet." 

"'  The  first  naturalization  under  the  new  law  took  place  Sep- 
tember 25-27,  1740,  when  74  persons  were  naturalized  by  the  Supreme 
Court  in  Philadelphia.  Among  them  were  quite  a  number  of  Re- 
formed people.  Among  others :  John  Bartholomew  Rieger,  John  Wil- 
liam Straub  (cf.,  p.  54),  Jacob  Arcnt,  of  Skippack ;  John  Wendel 
Brechbill,  Jacob  Walter,  John  Michael  Dill  and  Jacob  Uttre,  of  Phila- 
delphia; Adam  Reder,  of  Falkncr  Swamp;  Leonard  Knopp,  of  Goshen- 
hoppen,  and  the  Lutheran  minister,  John  Philip  Streeter,  who  preached 
in  the  Alsace  Church  near  Reading.  See  Pa.  Archives,  2nd  Series, 
Vol.  n,  pp.  347-349. 


LETTER  OF  1741  335 

April  of  this  year  more  than  200  were  in  Philadelphia,  in  the 
Supreme  Court.  They  thought  it  was  just  as  before,  but  they 
were  all  rejected,  except  those  who  were  properly  qualified  and 
had  their  certificates.  These  numbered  28,  Reformed  and 
Lutherans.^^^  The  Quakers  may  also  be  naturalized,  but  not 
much  was  said  about  them,  for  there  are  hardly  any  here  except 
natives.  But  I  understand  that  they  also  must  take  an  oath 
to  find  out  whether  some  are  foreigners,  but  I  am  not  quite 
certain. ^^'^  I  also  asked  the  Secretary  of  the  Governor  at  that 
time,  whether  the  certificates  of  unordained  ministers  were 
valid,  for  I  complained  a  little  about  this.  Then  I  received 
this  answer:  "The  Law  states  that  the  people  must  have  re- 
ceived the  communion,  hut  of  zvhom  the  laiv  does  not  say. 
Therefore,  they  coidd  do  nothing  in  this  matter^'.  But  I 
think  if  once  the  one  thing  is  changed,  the  other  will  follow. 

Reverend  Gentlemen,  if  God  should  so  order  it  that  the 
government  should  come  into  the  hands  of  our  beloved  king, 
then  I  think  (I  have  already  heard  a  great  deal  about  it),  that 
it  will  come  about  as  in  England,  and  also  here  in  Maryland, 
that  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  country,  whoever  they  may  be, 
must  pay  an  annual  church-tax,  out  of  which  the  Protestant 
ministers  are  paid,"°  towards  which  the  Right  Reverend  Bishop 
of  London  would  soon  work,  for  his  Reverence  has  thus  far 

*^*The  description  of  this  naturalization  is  so  detailed  that  we 
can  infer  at  once  that  Boehm  was  personally  present.  This  is  borne 
out  by  the  record.  On  April  10-11,  1741,  thirty-one  persons  were 
naturalized  by  the  Supreme  Court,  of  whom  John  Philip  Behm  is  the 
first  in  the  list.  Besides  him  there  were  at  least  three  Reformed 
people  of  Skippack,  who  were  naturalized  at  the  same  time.  They 
were :  Andreas  Overbeck,  Christian  Leaman  [Lehman]  and  Ulrick 
Stephen.     See  Pa.  Archives,  2nd  Series,  Vol.  II,  p.  352. 

"*The  records  of  the  Court  show  that  the  Quakers  and  others, 
who  had  conscientious  scruples  about  taking  an  oath,  were  permitted  to 
make  a  simple  affirmation.  Even  some  Reformed  people  were  among 
them,  like  Abraham  Kintzing,  of  Philadelphia  (see  p.  233f)  and  George 
Ecnsell,  of  Germantovvn.  See  Pa.  Archives,  2nd  Series,  Vol.  II,  pp. 
349-351. 

""This  was  a  curious  delusion  of  Mr.  Boehm,  for,  if  Pennsyl- 
vania had  become  a  royal  colony,  like  Virginia,  the  Episcopal  Church 
would  have  become  the  Established  Church,  to  which  all  Protestants 
alike  would  have  been  compelled  to  pay  tribute,  in  addition  to  paying 
their  own   ministers. 


336  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

sent  annually  the  sum  of  60  pounds  sterling  to  each  of  his 
ministers.  This  would  be  unnecessary-  later  on.  Then  would 
be  the  time  to  provide  for  our  Church  in  this  country  and  we 
would  aim  for  more  than  six  ministers,  for  since  the  time  the 
[last]  report  was  sent  3  or  4  more  [preaching]  places  have 
come  into  existence  far  away  in  the  wilderness,"^  where  the 
sheep  assemble  having  no  shepherd.  There  was  an  adequate 
reason  for  this  outcome  of  the  affair,  for  in  Pennsylvania  one 
may  count  three  or  more  Germans  of  all  kinds  to  one  English- 
man, hence  most  of  the  tax  would  be  paid  by  them. 

I  shall  pay  close  attention  to  the  outcome  of  this  affair  and 
I  shall  not  fail  to  report  submissively  to  you,  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible. I  do  not  doubt  that  our  devout  Church  Fathers  will  be 
able  to  accomplish  a  great  deal  through  the  wisdom  given  to 
them  by  God,  and  will  know  how  to  plan  for  our  good. 

So  far  as  the  collection-money,  received  by  Mr.  Weis  and 
Jacob  Reiff,  is  concerned,  everything  is  quiet.  Of  his  Rev- 
erence, Mr.  Dorsius,  I  do  not  hear  that  he  concerns  himself 
about  it  or  makes  any  efforts,  and  Diemer,  who  very  strangely 
was  recommended  for  this  work,  can  only  be  a  harmful  com- 
missioner, because  he  himself  is  involved,  as  has  heretofore 
been  reported  sufficiently.  He  will  have  a  poor  desire  to  have 
the  case  ended. 

I  was  several  times  at  the  place  where  the  letters  are, 
which  the  Christian  Synod  wrote  to  his  Excellency,  the  Gov- 
ernor.'-^ I  learned  from  them  that  the  two  gentlemen  might 
have  fought  bravely  with  the  sword  [evidence]  which  they  had 
in  hand.  However,  the  case  is  as  stated  above.  Nevertheless, 
because  it  pleased  the  Christian  Synods  to  commission  others 
for  this  work,  but  did  not  trust  me,  I  must  keep  quiet.    Yet  I 

"'  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  Boehm  does  not  mention  these  new- 
preaching  places.  They  are  probably  to  be  found  in  Lancaster  and 
Lehigh  Counties,  where  a  number  of  churches  were  in  existence,  whigh 
were  not  included  in  Boehm's  report  of  1740.     See  note  179,  p.  294. 

*"  On  April  15,  1739,  Rev.  E.  E.  Probsting,  Deputy  of  the  Synod, 
wrote  to  James  Logan,  Governor  of  Pennsylvania.  See  Reformed 
Quarterly  Review,  Vol.  XL  (1893),  p.  67f.  When  Logan  answered 
this  letter,  December  13,  1739,  he  stated  that  on  account  of  ill-health 
he  had  retired  from  office,  but  he  promised  to  make  an  investigation. 
Minutes  of  Synodical  Deputies,  under  date  June  7-8,  1740. 


LETTER  OF  1741  ^37 

am  heartily  sorry.  For  the  poor  congregations  can  in  no  case 
help  themselves.  May  the  good  Lord  grant  that  it  may  soon 
come  to  a  decision.  My  congregation  at  Schip  Bach  is  in  the 
same  situation  as  reported  before.  The  congregation  at  Falck- 
ner  Schwam  is  likewise  very  poor,  though  harmonious.  The 
place  where  we  worshipped  until  now  has  been  sold.  Where- 
upon the  elders  were  compelled  to  make  other  arrangements. 
They,  therefore,  bought  next  to  this  place  three  quarters  of  an 
acre  for  church  and  cemetery,  hoping  that,  if  God  grant  us  help, 
we  might  be  able  to  retain  it.^^^  We  succeeded  so  far  that  on 
the  2 1st  of  last  June  we  were  able  to  hold  our  services  for  the 
first  time  under  a  roof.  However,  they  still  owe  the  largest 
part  of  the  cost.  Thus  poverty  is  everywhere.  May  God 
help  us. 

Now,  Reverend  Gentlemen  and  dearly  beloved  Patrons,  for 
the  time  I  have  reported  everything  which  I  consider  useful 
and  necessary,  in  all  truthfulness  and  love  for  the  work  of  our 
God,  and  I  now  commend  myself  with  all  the  congregations  of 
Jesus  here  to  your  Christian  love  and  kind  remembrance,  wish- 
ing heartily  that  the  Lord  Jesus  may  richly  bless  your  work  for 
His  true  Church  and  that  He  may  increase  your  joy  over  His 
salvation.  Yea  I  wish  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart  that  the 
Almighty  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  His  im- 
measurable love  may  graciously  watch  over  all  our  devout 
Church  Fathers,  their  persons,  their  whole  families  and  holy 
service  for  the  glory  of  His  holy  name  and  your  eternal 
salvation. 

I  am  and  hope  to  remain  unalterably  my  devout  and  highly 
esteemed  Church  Fathers'  submissive  and  obedient  servant  and 
the  least  of  the  fellow-servants  of  Jesus. 

JOHANN   PhIUPS   BoEHM, 

High  German  Reformed  Minister  in  Pennsylvania. 
Witpen  Township,  Philadelphia  County, 
Pennsylvania,  July  25,  1741. 

"'The  original  deed  of  the  Falkner  Swamp  church  property 
has  not  yet  been  found.  This  passage  fixes  the  date  for  the  erection 
of  the  first  church  building.  It  was  1741.  On  June  21,  1741,  services 
were  held  for  the  first  time  in  this  building.  In  his  report  of  1744, 
Boehm  refers  to  it  as  "a  well-built  frame  church,  which  may  last 
a  long  time,  but  they  owe  nearly  sixty  pounds  on  it."     See  p.  413. 

22 


338  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

EX' CLOSURE  A. 

[STATEMENT  ABOUT  THE  VISIT  OF  DORSIUS  IN  GOSHEN- 
HOPPEN,  OCTOBER  20,  1740.] 

When  Mr.  Dorsius,  minister  at  Schamine  [Neshaminy] 
was  at  Goschenhoppen  on  the  24th  of  September,  1740,^**  and 
baptized  children,  in  his  anger  against  our  minister,  Mr.  Boehm, 
he  burst  out,  without  any  reserve,  in  the  following  expressions 
among  many  others :  "If  Boehm  says  that  I  have  not  sent  the 
letters  which  he  wrote  regarding  the  church  to  Holland,  he 
lies  like  a  scoundrel",  and  this  he  repeated  several  times. 

Further:  Boehm  counts  no  more  in  Holland  than  this  boy 
(pointing  to  a  little  boy)  and  he  must  know  that  he  has  to 
learn  of  me,  for  he  is  no  ordained  minister.  He  is  only  placed 
here  provisionally,  and  if  he  cannot  keep  his  mouth  shut,  then 
I'll  make  him.  And  more  like  that. 
This  is  herewith  duly  attested. 

Ulrich  Stefifen,  elder  of  the  congregation  at  Schip- 

Bach. 
Martin  Hildebeutel,  of  Old  Goschenhoppen. 
Jacob  Frack,  of  Old  Goschenhoppen. 
The  above  words,  namely :    "Boehm  does  not  count  more 
in   Holland   than  that  boy",   etc.,  and  similar  expressions,   I 
heard  from  his  own  lips,  to  which  I  herewith  duly  testify. 

Andreas  Oberbeck,  elder  of  the  Reformed  congrega- 
tion at  Schip  Bach. 
Schip  Bach  and  Old  Goschenhoppen, 
October  20,  1740. 

That  this  copy  is  an  exact  duplicate  of  the  original  shown 
to  us,  we  herewith  duly  testify. 

Frederick  Reimer,  elder  of  the  Reformed  congrega- 
tion in  Falckner  Schwam. 
Ulrich  Stefifen,  elder  of  the  Reformed  congregation 
at  Schip  Bach. 

*"The  presence  of  Dorsius  and  Goetschy  at  Goshenhoppen 
on  September  24,  1740,  is  corroborated  by  the  church  record,  which 
shows  that  eight  children  were  baptized  on  that  day.  See  Perkiomcn 
Region,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  112.)  The  entries  are  in  the  handwriting  of 
Goetschy.  The  next  letter  (see  p.  339)  shows  that  "Goetschy  read  the 
baptismal  formula,  while  Dorsius  baptized  the  children." 


LETTER  OF  1741  339 


ENCLOSURE  B. 


[DEFENSE  OF  MR.  BOEHM  BY  HIS  ELDERS,  NOVEMBER  30, 
1740.] 

The  Rev.  John  Philip  Boehm  has  shown  to  us,  the  mem- 
bers of  his  consistories,  now  actually  in  service  in  the  three 
congregations  entrusted  to  him  at  Falckner  Schwam,  Schip 
Bach  and  Weitmarge,  a  certificate  signed  by  reputable  men,  in 
which  we  read  that  our  minister  and  pastor  was  covered,  in 
the  congregation  at  New  Goschenhoppen,  in  the  presence  of 
a  great  multitude  of  people  with  unbearable,  abusive  and 
scandalous  terms  by  his  Reverence,  Mr.  Dorsius,  minister  at 
Schamine. 

We  believe  that  thereby  the  name  of  God  was  desecrated, 
because  his  Reverence,  Mr.  Dorsius,  tries  to  make  void  and 
exposes  to  the  mockery  of  unprincipled  people  the  holy  ordina- 
tion, which  our  faithful  pastor,  who  has  now  for  15  years 
worked  among  us  under  such  a  heavy  burden,  received  from 
the  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam  through  the  reverend  cor- 
responding ministers  at  New  York.  Thus  his  Reverence  assists 
in  bringing  about  the  further  demoralization  of  these  people. 
His  Reverence  visited  the  congregations  of  Sackon  [Saucon] 
and  New  Goschenhoppen  on  his  return  home  from  Minising.^^^ 
As  far  as  we  know  he  did  not  visit  any  others  in  the  back- 
woods. At  that  time  his  Reverence  had  the  young  Goetschi 
preach  the  sermon  and  read  the  baptismal  formula,  while  he 
baptized  the  children. -^^  Afterwards  all  that  is  stated  above 
took  place.  It  is  impossible  for  us  to  let  the  case  rest  here, 
because  his  Reverence  has  not  only  treated  our  beloved  minister 
so  unkindly,  but  he  also  attacked  thereby  the  respect  due  to 
reverend  men  and  devout  Church  Fathers,  who  established  our 
pure  divine  worship  in  this  country,  by  despising  the  holy  ordi- 
nation, granted  to  him  in  the  fear  of  God  and  because  of  oppo- 

""  This  Minising  was  probably  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church 
at  Minisink,  now  Nominack  at  Montague,  Sussex  County,  N.  J., 
which  was  founded  in  1737,  according  to  Dr.  Corwin.  See  his  Manual, 
4th  ed.,  p.  990.  This  congregation  was  first  supplied  by  Rev.  George 
William  Mancius,  the  Dutch  Reformed  pastor  at  Kingston,  N.  Y., 
later  by  Rev.  John  Caspar  Frymuth.     See  Corwin,  1.  c,  pp.  481,  598. 

^o  See  note  224,  p.  338. 


340  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

sition  to  him.  We  hope,  therefore,  that  his  Reverence,  Mr. 
Dorsius,  will  be  requested  to  reveal  the  reasons  for  his  un- 
becoming conduct  towards  our  minister.  These,  as  far  as  we 
know,  are  not  of  such  weight  that  he  can  rely  on  them,  they 
may  even  be  used  against  him.  Hence  our  official  duty  com- 
pels us  to  testify  duly  and  truthfully  that  we  are  not  able  to 
make  the  least  complaint  against  the  life,  doctrine  and  conduct 
of  our  minister  and  his  maintenance  of  order  in  his  congrega- 
tions, according  to  our  constitution  established  by  the  Classis 
of  Amsterdam.  But  we  are  fully  satisfied  and  well  pleased  with 
him  and  we  have  heard  nothing  else  from  all  our  predecessors, 
since  he  served  the  above  mentioned  congregations.  We  there- 
fore duly  testify  to  this  and  sign  it  with  our  own  hands  that, 
until  this  day  we  have  heard  nothing  of  our  pastor,  Mr.  Boehm, 
save  that  which  is  good  and  laudable,  with  the  only  exception 
of  the  remarks  of  his  Reverence,  Mr.  Dorsius. 

!John  Dunkel,  elder. 
John  Tricktenhengst,  elder. 
Frederick  Reimer,  elder. 
Jacob  XKrausen,  elder. 
John  Dietrich  Bucher,  deacon. 
Adam  Roder,  deacon. 

/John  Adam  Meirer,  elder. 

^Vu'  ^^r^u'^"'^''"  ^MAndrew  (O.  B.)  Oberbeck,  elder. 
Schip  Bach.  <  , 

November  ii,  1740.  i^      ,    a       .     u 

I  Jacob  Arnet,  elder. 

l^Henry  Wurmahn,  deacon. 

Of  the  congregation  at  ^Christopher  Ottinger,  elder. 
Weitmarge,  /William  de  Wees,  elder. 

December  5,  1740.     ( Philip  Scherrer,  deacon. 

Having  read  the  above  letter  of  defense,  signed  with  the 
autograph  signatures  of  the  members  of  Do.  Boehm's  congrega- 
tions, now  actually  in  office,  and  having  well  considered  the 
same,  we,  the  members  of  the  consistory  of  the  Philadelphia 
congregation,  now  actually  in  office,  likewise  sign  it  now.    We 


LETTER  OF  1741  341 

especially  feel  it  our  duty  to  do  so,  since  Mr.  Boehm  in  the 
year  1734,  in  the  month  of  August,^"  took  our  distress  to  heart, 
for  the  sake  of  Jesus,  while  before  that  time  one  after  another 
had  proved  a  hireling  and  left  our  congregation,  so  that  it  had 
fallen  into  decay  and  seemed  to  be  dead.  But  the  forsaken 
flock  appealed  with  piteous  pleadings  to  Mr.  Boehm  and  he 
has  now  served  us  for  more  than  six  years,  according  to  the 
best  of  his  ability,  and  he  has  used  all  diligence,  in  order  to 
preserve  this  congregation,  until  the  good  Lord  sends  further 
help.  Nor  do  we  believe  that  he  will  forsake  us  as  long  as  God 
spares  his  life.  Like  our  brethren  in  the  other  congregations 
we  have  nothing  to  complain  of  in  regard  to  his  life,  doctrine 
and  conversation,  but  we  are  well  pleased  and  attached  to  him 
in  love  and  peace.  To  this  we  herewith  duly  testify  with  our 
signatures,  however  with  grief  because  of  the  abuse  he  suffered, 
for  we  have  never  heard  the  least  unkind  word  against  his 
Reverence,  Mr.  Dorsius,  from  the  lips  of  Mr.  Boehm. 

I  Valentine  Beyer,  elder, 
John  Michael  Diel,  elder. 
Rudolf  Wiellecken,  elder. 
his 
Henry  (H  K)  Klemmer,  elder, 
mark 
Jacob  Maag,  deacon. 
John  Ludwig  Seibel,  deacon. 

The  above  is  a  verbatim  duplicate  of  the  original. 

Boe;hm. 

"'This  date  fixes  the  beginning  of  Boehm's  ministry  at  Phila- 
delphia as  August,  1734.  On  the  basis  of  Boehm's  report  of  1739 
(see  p.  273),  July,  1734,  was  formerly  taken  as  the  date,  but  in  reality 
Boehm  states  in  that  report  only  the  date  when  the  congregation  ac- 
cepted his  constitution.  On  August  18,  1734,  the  elders  were  installed, 
see  p.  238. 


342  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

ENCLOSURE  C. 

[LETTER    OF   THE   TULPEHOCKEX    CONSISTORY    TO    MR. 
BOEHM,  APRIL  20,  1740.] 

Reverend  and  Dear  Pastor: — 

After  we  had  received  your  letter  of  March  g,  1740,  stat- 
ing that  you  would  come  to  us,  in  order  to  administer  the  Lord's 
Supper,  we  desire  to  inform  you  that  Mr.  Goetschius  also  sent 
us  a  letter-'^  that  he  and  the  Inspector  [Dorsius]  would  come 
in  May  and  administer  the  Lord's  Supper.  Therefore  we  do 
not  know  what  to  do. 

Herewith  we  commend  you  to  the  protection  of  the  Most 
High,  and  remain, 

Your  loving  parishioners, 

Henry   Meyer,   elder. 
Jacob   Wilhelm. 
Tolbenhacken, 

April  20,  1740. 

"'  In  the  archives  of  the  Amsterdam  Classis  is  an  earlier  letter 
of  the  Tulpehocken  elders,  which  describes  this  visit  of  Goetschy.  It 
is  as  follows : 

"Account  of  that  which  took  place  at  Tulpehocken,  how 
Mr.  Goetschi  came  to  us  here,  preached  and  administered  the  sacra- 
ment of  baptism.  All  of  us  members  heard  that  a  preacher  was  stay- 
ing with  Goetschi,  and  some  of  the  elders  went  to  see  Goetschi  to 
ask  how  it  was  with  the  young  man  [probably  Van  Hasten,  see  p.  260], 
whether  he  was  able  to  serve  a  congregation  and  whether  we  could 
have  him  or  not.  He  said  that  we  could  have  him,  but  he  was  not 
yet  fully  qualified  to  preside  over  a  congregation.  Then  one  man, 
named  Henrich  Ludwig  Schwartz,  asked  him,  namely  Goetschi,  whether 
he  would  come  to  us  several  times  and  preach  for  us  till  the  young 
man  was  fully  qualified  to  serve  the  congregation.  But  the  congre- 
gation had  not  authorized  him,  namely  Schwartz,  to  ask  for  that  but 
only  for  the  young  man.  Then  he  [Goetschi]  answered,  if  the  con- 
gregation was  satisfied,  he  would  come.  Then  he  came,  preached  and 
baptized  children,  but  without  asking  permission  of  the  elders. 

"To  this  we  herewith  testify. 
"Dolpehacken, 

"February  11,  1740. 

"Henrich  Meier, 
"Valentine    Herchelroth, 
"Henrich  B.\ssler, 
"Barthel  Schaeffer, 
"Henrich   Zeller." 


LETTER  OF  1741  343 

This  copy  is  the  exact  duplicate  of  the  original  which  is  in 
my  hands.  Boehm. 


ENCLOSURE  D. 

[STATEMENT  OF  REV.  JOHN   B.  RIEGER,   FEBRUARY 
27,  1735.] 

I  sincerely  regret  that  unlawfully  and  without  the  consent  of 
Do.  Boehm,  lawful  pastor  of  Weitmarge,  Schippack  and  Falckner 
Schwam,  I  conducted  services  in  his  congregation  at  Schippack,  which 
is  diametrically  opposed  to  the  Church  Order  of  the  Dutch  Reformed 
Church  (which  order  I  confess  agrees  more  than  any  other  with  the 
teaching  of  Christ,  the  practice  of  the  apostles  and  the  ancient  customs 
of  the  Church)  and  which  I  promised  the  Rev.  Mr.  Boel,  minister  in 
New  York  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Antonides,  minister  on  Long  Island,  last 
year  not  to  do  again.  I  ask  Do.  Boehm  and  his  consistory  for  their 
brotherly  forgiveness  and  to  bury  under  a  Christian  amnesty  all  that 
may  ever  have  passed  between  him  and  me,  and  to  give  me  thereon 
the  hand  of  brotherly  fellowship,  of  reconciliation  and  love.  What 
has  happened  shall  not  happen  again.  The  fire  of  youth,  passion  and 
so  forth  can  do  much.  I  further  promise  to  do  in  the  future  every- 
thing in  my  power  in  the  interest  of  Do.  Boehm  and  his  congregation, 
and  when  there  is  an  opportunity  to  speak  well  of  him  to  his  oppon- 
ents. Nor  shall  I  fail  to  do  and  to  say  what  shall  recommend  and 
reconcile  him  to  them. 

Do.  Boehm  need  the  less  doubt  my  word,  because,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  their  Reverences,  Messrs.  Du  Bois  and  Boel,  ministers  at  New 
York,  I  promised  to  subordinate  myself  and  my  congregations  to  the 
Classis  of  Amsterdam,  to  be  willingly  and  entirely  subject  to  its 
discipline  and,  should  I,  in  one  thing  or  another  give  offense,  also  to 
its  censure;  pledging  myself,  as  proof  of  my  subordination  to  the 
Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  to  send  a  written  agreement,  before 
the  14th  of  April  next,  if  I  am  living  and  enjoy  health,  to  the  corre- 
spondents, Messrs.  Du  Bois,  Antonides  and  Boel,  and  if  I  neglect  the 
same,  or  have  not  then  furnished  it,  without  giving  sufficient  reasons 
to  the  satisfaction  of  Messrs.  Du  Bois,  Antonides  and  Boel,  that  in  that 
case  Do.  Boehm  and  his  consistory  may  continue  their  action  against 
me  and  may  prosecute  me  by  correspondence  and  by  every  other 
ecclesiastical  and  lawful  manner,  customary  in  such  cases.  All  this 
was  sacredly  promised  without  cunning  and  guile  and  signed  for  its 
proper  observance,  in  New  York,  on  February  27,   1735. 

John  Barth.  Rieger, 

Minister  at  Atnwel. 

The  above  statement  was  shown  to  us  by  Do.  Rieger.    It  appears 


344  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

to  us  as  satisfactory,  and  we  hope  that  Do.  Boehm  and  his  consistory 
(unless  they  have  important  reasons  to  the  contrary)  will  accept  it 
as  an  evidence  of  reconciliation. 

This   was  witnessed  and   signed   by  us,  at   the   request  of   Do. 
Rieger,  at  the  place  and  date  as  stated  above. 

G.  Du  Bois, 
Henricus    Boel. 

I  herewith  attest  that  the  two  preceding  statements  agree  ver- 
batim with  the  true  originals,  signed  with  autograph  signatures. 
Pennsylvania,  July  20,  1741.  Boehm. 


ENCLOSURE  E. 

[LETTER  OF  REV.  G.  M.  WEIS  TO  MR.  C.  ULRICH  OF 
PHILADELPHIA,  JUNE  20,  174L] 

To  Caspar  Ulrich  at  Philadelphia. 

Burnetsfield,  in  the  County  of  Albany, 

June  20,  174L 
Dear  Sir  and  Friend: — 

Last  year  I  received  a  letter  from  the  Reverend  Classis  of 
Amsterdam  concerning  the  ecclesiastical  affairs  in  Pennsylvania,  all 
of  which  were  recommended  to  me  with  the  assurance  that  the  Qassis 
would  help  me  with  advice  and  as  far  as  possible  with  deeds.  They 
gave  as  their  opinion  that  I  should  again  be  received  as  minister 
among  you  in  Pennsylvania  and  be  reinstated  in  my  former  office  (as 
may   be   seen   more   fully   from   the   extract   of   the   Classical   letter"* 

**A  copy  of  this  Classical  letter,  dated  June,  1739,  is  preserved 
in  the  Classical  Letter  Book,  Vol.  XXIX,  p.  257.  In  it  the  Classical 
Deputies  write :  "We  have  learned  of  your  good  intentions  and 
watchfulness  for  the  best  interest  of  the  church  in  Pennsylvania,  not 
only  from  your  letters,  but  we  have  also  received  information  from  a 
person  who  left  Philadelphia  October  20th  of  last  year  [1738].  He 
said  indeed  that  he  had  heard  nothing  of  your  intention  to  return  to 
Philadelphia,  and  he  added  that  if  you  should  again  undertake  to 
preach  there  it  seemed  to  him  improbable  that  the  undertaking  would 
bear  fruit,  and  in  proof  of  this  he  gave  such  reasons  that  we  would 
rather  keep  silent  about  them  than  mention  them,  so  as  not  to  hurt 
your  humility.  Therefore,  we  are  induced  all  the  more  to  declare  to 
you  that  if  you  can  again  receive  another  appointment  to  the  minis- 
terial office,  under  circumstances  agreeable  to  yourselves,  it  will  be 
agreeable  to  us."  See  Eccl.  Records  of  N.  Y.,  Vol.  IV.  p.  2734. 
Weiss  probably  misunderstood  this  Classical  letter,  for  the  advice 
seems  to  be  to  accept  a  call  elsewhere  than  Philadelphia. 


LETTER  OF  1741  345 

lately  sent  to  Philadelphia).  Therefore,  I  desired,  out  of  obedience 
to  said  Classis,  to  make  this  known  to  you,  my  dear  friends  at  Phila- 
delphia and  at  other  places,  so  that  you  might  not  be  ignorant  of  it, 
and  have  time  for  deliberation  concerning  this  affair,  in  order  that 
the  work  of  the  Lord  begun  among  you  may  at  last  have  a  happy 
issue,  which  every  one  earnestly  looks  for. 

May  the  Great  God  grant  that  all  may  tend  to  the  glory  of  His 
holy  name!     May  He  produce  in  the  hearts  of  men   true  Christian 
love.      This    is    my    hearty    wish.      Commending    yourself    and    your 
family  to  the  protection  of  God,  I  remain  with  friendly  greetings. 
My  esteemed  friend's  devoted  servant, 

George  Michael  Weis, 
p.  t.  minister  of  the  Reformed 
Congregation   of  Bumetsfield. 
That  this  copy  agrees  verbatim  with  the  original  autograph,  I 
herewith  attest, 
July  20,  1741.  BoEHM, 

Minister  in  Pennsylvania. 


ENCLOSURE  F. 

[ACCOUNT  OF  THE  COLLECTION  MONEY  DRAWN  UP  BY 
WEISS,  MAY  8,  1738.] 

ScHip  Bach,  May  8,  1788. 
Account  drawn  up  with  J.  Reiff  concerning  the  collection  money, 
which  he  received  in  my  presence  in  Holland  at  Rotterdam,  Harlem 
and  Amsterdam,  of  which  the  following  disposition  was  made : 
Receipts  according  to  the  Collection 

Book   sum   total 2104  Holland  guilders 

Expenditures:  Of  this  sum  was  paid  for  necessary  expendi- 
tures and  other  purposes : 

1.  For  the   voyage    from    Philadelphia   to   London 

without  food  taken  along 18  pounds 

2.  For  board  in  London  during  one  month,  together 

with  duty  for  me  and  Jacob  Reiff 5£  7sh.  6d. 

3.  For   passage    from    London    to   Rotterdam    for 

each    15sh.  sterl. 

1  chini  [guinea?]  for  the  bed  and  3sh.  for  board. 

4.  Expenses  for  half  a  year's  stay  in  Holland  and 

necessary  journeys**'  700  Holland  guilders 

"•This  statement  is  important,  because  it  fixes  the  length  of 
Mr.  Weiss'  stay  in  Holland.  He  first  appeared  in  Holland  in  August, 
1730.    Hence  he  left  in  February,  1731.     See  p.  41. 


346  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

5.     At    Rotterdam,     shortly    before    my    return    to 

London.  Jacob  Reiff  gave  me.. 250  Holland  guilders 
Of   these   I    paid   the   passage   to    London    from 
Rotterdam,    since    Jacob    Reiff    remained    in 
Holland,   r2sh.,  a  chini   for  the  bed,  6sh.   for 
board.     The  passage  from  London  to  Mary- 
land   8£,    without    food,    which    I    took    along. 
The  journey   from   Marjdand   to   Philadelphia 
by  land  and  sea  3£  12  sh.  Id.     For  board  in 
London    16sh. 
In   addition   for   my  trouble   and   labor   for   the 
year  50  pounds. 

N.  B. — Jacob  Reiff  declares  that  he  paid  me  for 

clothing  and  a  few  books 110  guilders  and   14 

stuivers. 

Note :    When  pounds  and  shillings  are  mentioned  sterling  money 
is  meant. 


ENCLOSURE  G. 

THE  FORM  OF  THE  DECLARATION  OF  ALLEGIANCE. 

I,  N.  N.,  do  hereby  publicly  promise  (swear)  and  announce  that 
I  will  be  faithful  to  his  Majesty,  King  George  II.  I  also  confess  truly 
and  under  oath  that  with  all  my  heart  I  hate,  despise  and  deny  as  an 
ungodly,  heretical  doctrine  and  idea,  that  princes  or  rulers,  by  an  ex- 
communication of  the  Pope,  or  by  any  other  authority  or  permission 
from  Rome,  may  be  deprived  of  their  dignity  and  deposed  or  murdered, 
be  this  by  their  subjects  or  others. 

I  likewise  declare  (swear),  that  no  foreign  prince,  ruler,  pre- 
late, state  or  potentate,  whoever  he  may  be,  neither  has  any  right, 
authority  or  power,  nor  should  have  any  power,  right  and  authority 
to  rule  and  command  in  ecclesiastical  and  spiritual  affairs  throughout 
the  whole  kingdom  of  Great  Britain  and  all  the  countries  and  do- 
minions belonging  to  the  same. 


THE  EFFECT  OR  CONTENTS  OF  THE  OATH  OF 
ALLEGIANCE. 

I,  N.  N.,  do  hereby  solemnly  and  sincerely  and  faithfully  de- 
clare (swear)  that  his  Majesty,  King  George  II,  is  the  true  and  right- 
ful king  and  possessor  of  the  crown  and  the  kingdom  of  Great  Britain 
and  all  the  countries  and  dominions  belonging  to  the  same. 


LETTER  OF  1741  347 

And  I  do  also  faithfully  declare  (swear)  it  as  my  belief  that 
the  person  who  during  the  reign  of  the  last  king,  James,  pretended 
to  be  Prince  of  Wales  and  also  after  the  death  of  said  king  took  upon 
himself  the  title  James  VIII,  King  of  Scotland  and  James  III,  King 
of  Great  Britain,  has  no  right  whatever  to  the  crown  of  the  kingdom 
of  Great  Britain  and  the  countries  belonging  to  the  same,  and  I 
hereby  renounce  all  homage  and  obedience  to  him.  On  the  other 
hand,  I  do  solemnly  promise  that  I  will  be  faithful  and  obedient  to  his 
Majesty,  the  present  King  George  II,  and  his  rightful  heirs,  and 
that  I  will  strive  to  faithfully  disclose  and  report  all  secret  alliances 
and  treacherous  plots  of  which  I  may  learn,  which  may  be  made  both 
against  his  high  person,  crown  and  government,  as  against  his  rightful 
succession ;  and  I  do  sincerely  and  faithfully  promise  and  pledge 
myself  that  with  heart  and  hand,  property  and  life,  I  will  defend  his 
Majesty's  title  and  government  against  all  those  that  pretend  to  be 
Prince  of  Wales,  both  in  regard  to  said  James  and  all  other  pretenders 
whoever  they  may  be,  as  such  is  confirmed  by  an  act  of  Parliament, 
called:  "An  Act  showing  the  rights  and  liberties  of  subjects  and 
establishing  the  succession  to  the  crown  of  the  last  Queen  Anne  and 
her  natural  heirs  of  the  Protestant  religion";  and  further  in  another 
act,  called:  "An  Act  of  further  limitation  of  the  crown  and  better 
insurance  of  the  rights  and  liberties  of  the  subjects,  willed  and  con- 
firmed by  the  late  Queen  Anne  in  want  of  natural  heirs,  to  be  suc- 
ceeded by  the  Princess  Sophia,  Electress  and  widowed  Duchess  of 
Hanover,  and  her  natural  heirs  of  the  Protestant  religion." 

All  these  things  I  do  sincerely  and  honestly  declare,  yea  promise 
and  testify  that  my  opinions  are  according  to  my  words  and  the 
general  sense  and  meaning  of  them,  without  ambiguous  words  or 
secretly  containing  a  subterfuge  and  reserve  of  whatever  it  may  be, 
and  I  make  this  declaration  (oath),  denial  and  promise  heartily,  will- 
ingly and   faithfully,  upon  my   Christian   faith. 


348  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

[XXXI.    BOEHM'S  BOOK  AGAINST  THE  MORAVIANS, 
AUGUST  23,  1742."^] 

Faithful  Letter 

of  Warning 

addressed  to 

The  High  German  Evangelical  Reformed 

Congregations  and  all  their  Members  in 

Pennsylvania 

For  their  faithful  Warning  against  the  People  who 

are  known  as  Herrn  Huters 

That  they  may  take  care  and  guard  themselves 

against  their  Doctrine,  destructive  of   soul 

and  subversive  of  conscience  and  hence 

that  they  may  not  be  led  astray  to  the  eternal 

loss  of  their  souls,  by  the 

appearance  of  their  external  hypocritical  conduct, 

and  their  fancied  righteousness  and  holiness. 

After  the  example  of  the  Reverend  Consistory 

of  Amsterdam  in  Holland 

By  reason  of  the  duty  and  obligation 

imposed  upon  him  by  Almighty  God 

Written  by  me 

JoH.  Ph.  Boehm, 

High  German  Reformed  Minister  of  the 

Congregations  entrusted  to  me  in  Pennsylvania. 

Philadelphia,  printed  by  A.  Bradford,  1742. 

"^  It  is  hardly  necessary  to  state  that  the  editor  does  not  share 
Boehm's  feelings  towards  the  Moravians.  He  cherishes  rather  a 
sincere  regard  and  admiration  for  their  splendid  missionary  work  in 
behalf  of  Christ's  Kingdom  throughout  the  world.  These  documents 
relating  to  the  union  movement  are  published  simply  as  historical  docu- 
ments, to  show  conditions  as  they  were  then  and  what  the  feelings  of 
the  chief  actors  were.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  Boehm  indulged  in 
the  same  coarse  abuse  which  was  then  the  prevailing  style  in  theological 
polemics.  The  two  books  sent  to  him  from  Holland  abound  in  the 
same  sort  of  language.  We  omit  as  irrelevant  all  merely  controversial 
sections  and  confine  ourselves  to  a  few  historical  paragraphs  of  his 
book,  which  give  first-hand  information  about  events,  in  which  Boehm 
took  part  personally.  No  one  can  or  should  doubt  that  Boehm  was 
an  honest  man,  and  when  he  tells  about  events  which  he  knew  from 
personal  observation,  his  statements  must  be  accepted  as  representing 


LETTER  OF  1742  349 

[The  first  part  of  Boehm's  book  is  taken  up  with  a  presen- 
tation of  the  chief  contents  of  two  books  sent  to  him  from 
Holland.  The  first  was  entitled:  "Pastoral  and  Paternal 
Letter  addressed  to  the  flourishing  Reformed  Congregation  of 
this  city,  meant  for  the  discovery  and  exposure  of  the  dan- 
gerous errors  of  the  people  known  as  Herrn  Huthers.  Written 
by  the  Ministers  and  Elders  of  the  Consistory  of  Amsterdam. 

"Amsterdam,  printed  by  Adrian  Wor  and  Heirs,  under  the 
Elms,  MDCCXXXVHI". 

The  second  and  much  more  elaborate  book,  sent  to  Boehm 
from  Holland,  was  written  in  answer  to  an  anonymous  reply 
to  the  "Pastoral  Letter",  and  was  intended  as  a  further  ex- 
posure of  the  supposed  heresies  of  the  Moravians,  by  its  author, 
the  Rev.  Gerhard  Kulenkamp,  pastor  at  Amsterdam.  Its  prolix 
title  may  be  translated  as  follows : 

"The  Corrupt  Mysticism,  Spiritism  and  Enthusiasm  of 
the  so-called  Herrn  Huthers  laid  bare.  Out  of  their  High  Ger- 
man Hymn  Book  and  their  other  writings  most  clearly  ex- 
posed and  their  agreement  with  the  corrupt  mystics  and  spirit- 
ists in  Germany  and  the  Shakers  in  England  demonstrated  as  a 
renewed  faithful  warning  against  these  people  and  as  a  full 
defense  of  the  Pastoral  and  Paternal  Letter  of  the  Reverend 
Consistory  of  Amsterdam.  Now  added  as  a  reply  to  the 
faithless  accusation  of  a  certain  anonymous  writing.  Published 
upon  the  earnest  request  and  at  the  order  of  the  Reverend  Con- 
sistory and  out  of  love  for  the  truth  which  is  according  to 
godliness,  by  Gerhardus  Kulenkamp,  Minister  at  Amsterdam. 

Amsterdam,  printed  by  Adrian  Wor  and  Heirs  under  the 
Elms,  MDCCXXXIX"."^« 

The  first  twenty  pages  of  Boehm's  Book  are  taken  up  with 
an  analysis  of  the  chief  contents  of  these  two  Dutch  books. 

the  event  as  he  saw  it.  Only  one  Jcnown  copy  of  this  book  of  Boehm 
has  survived,  which  is  now  in  possession  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  J.  I.  Good. 
It  is  a  small  octavo,  containing  IV,  and  96  pages  of  closely  printed 
text.  A  partial  reprint  of  the  book  was  issued  in  Germany  in  1748 
by  the  Rev.  John  Philip  Fresenius,  in  his  Bcwahrte  Nachrichtcn  von 
Herrnhutischen  Sachen,  Frankfurt,  1748,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  562-677. 

"'•  A  facsimile  of  the  title  page  of  this  rare  book  was  published 
by  the  writer  in  the  Journal  of  the  Presbyterian  Hist.  Sac,  Vol.  VII, 
facing  p.  353. 


350  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

On  p.  21  he  continues  as  follows:] 

What  has  happened  here  of  late, — my  dear  and  beloved 
Brethren  and  Sisters  in  Jesus,  faithful  members  of  the  con- 
gregations entrusted  to  me  (yea  all  those  who  will  read  this 
in  the  fear  of  the  Lord), — I  shall  faithfully  report  to  you,  in 
view  of  my  duty  and  the  obligation  resting  upon  me  because 
of  my  office  which  I  hold  among  you,  in  accordance  with  the 
best  of  my  knowledge  and  the  truth  which  is  pleasing  to  God, 
so  that  I  m.ay  not  leave  you  in  ignorance  and  without  warning. 

Probably  most  of  you  know  that  Count  Zinzendorf,  to- 
gether with  the  people  accompanying  him,  namely  the  above 
mentioned  Herrnhuters  whose  leader  he  is,  arrived  at  the 
end  of  last  year  in  Philadelphia,  the  capital  of  Pennsylvania. 
There  the  Evangelical  Lutherans, — because  this  Count  of  Zin- 
zendorf calls  himself  a  Lutheran, — adhered  to  him  (at  first  only 
a  part  of  them)  at  the  instigation  of  some,  whose  character  is 
well  known,  (who  will  reveal  themselves  later  on)  and  thus  it 
came  to  pass  that  the  Count  was  invited  to  preach  for  them. 

Then  it  happened  that,  on  Christmas  day  last  past,  the 
25th  of  December,  1741,  I  went  to  Philadelphia  and  con- 
ducted my  usual  service  with  the  Reformed  congregation, 
intending  to  hold  another  service  on  the  27th  day  of  the  month, 
which  was  Sunday.  Inasmuch  as  I  had  spoken  with  a  certain 
member  of  the  Lutherans  and  he  had  agreed  (because  no 
Lutheran  minister  was  present)  to  read  a  sermon  and  thus  hold 
a  regular  Lutheran  service  for  this  congregation  on  the  second 
Christmas  day,  that  is  Saturday, — as  he  had  done  repeatedly 
upon  request,  according  to  the  best  of  his  ability, — I  resolved 
to  attend  together  with  all  the  elders  of  the  Reformed  con- 
gregation and  other  members,  as  was  the  usual  custom. 

When,  with  several  elders  and  members  of  the  Reformed 
congregation,  I  went  that  day  to  the  meeting  house,  not  know- 
ing anything  about  what  was  going  to  take  place,  many  people 
of  both  congregations  stood  in  front  of  the  house  on  the  street, 
which  presented  a  remarkable  appearance,  for  they  were 
walking  one  behind  the  other.  When  we  came  nearer  we 
heard  what  was  the  cause  of  this  concourse  of  people,  namely 
Count  Zinzendorf  was  going  to  preach,  which  had  been  ar- 
ranged by  some,  but  many  did  not  want  to  allow  it.  We  kept 
silent  (because  it  did  not  concern  us)  until  some  of  the  Lu- 


LETTER  OF  1742  351 

therans  (among  whom  were  elders,  as  I  believe)  asked,  what 
I  had  to  say  to  it.    I  answered : 

"I  believe  I  have  more  information  about  these  things  than 
many  of  you  and  hence  I  want  to  protest,  so  that  none  can  say 
that  the  Reformed  people  (or  myself)  had  consented  to  it,  to 
have  Count  Zinzendorf  [preach]  at  the  time  appointed  for  the 
Reformed.  We  Reformed  people  cannot  prescribe  to  you 
Lutherans.  If  you  do  something  against  yourselves,  we  want 
to  have  no  part  in  what  may  come  of  it". 

As  a  result  nothing  came  of  it  and  the  Count  stayed  away. 
But  there  was  talk  that  the  originators  of  this  affair  were  much 
displeased  with  me,  saying,  Boehm  has  done  this !  Then  word 
was  passed  that  the  Count  would  hold  a  meeting  in  his  own 
house  towards  evening,  which  took  place.  A  considerable 
num.ber  of  people,  of  all  persuasions  (because  it  was  some- 
thing new)  came  together.  Then  he  announced  that  in  future 
he  would  preach  in  his  house,  which  he  did  the  following  day, 
Sunday,  the  27th  of  December. 

After  that  he  continued,  as  he  had  done  several  times  be- 
fore, to  preach  at  Germantown,  in  the  church  built  there  for 
the  High  German  Reformed  congregation.  What  reports  we 
have  about  the  addresses  delivered  there,  will  be  stated  later. 

Meanwhile,  through  the  instigators  of  the  affair  in  Phila- 
delphia, to  whom  we  referred  above,  it  came  so  far  among 
the  Lutherans  that  Count  Zinzendorf  preached  to  them,  at 
their  appointed  time  in  our  common  church.  For  this  reason 
the  Count  wrote  me  the  following  letter,  under  date  January 
8,  1742,  which  reads  verbatim  as  follows: 

"To  his  Reverence,  Mr.  Jacob  Boehm,  Dutch  Minister  of 
several  Pennsylvania  Churches.    At  his  plantation. 

"My  dear  Mr.  Boehm: — 

"The  officers  of  the  Lutheran  denomination,  in  which  I  was 
born  and  brought  up,  and  on  the  basis  of  which  I  stand  in  the 
service  of  our  Church,  have  requested  me  to  preach  in  their 
church.  I  cannot  well  deny  them  this,  because  I  accepted  such 
invrtations  in  many  cities  and  places  of  the  Lutheran  religion  in 
Germany,  until  within  a  few  days  of  my  departure  for  this 
country,  and  preached  everywhere  the  Gospel  willingly  and  in 
good  order. 

"But  inasmuch  as  I  know  that  you  preach  in  the  same 


352  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

church,  and  I  do  not  hold  the  doctrine  of  unconditional  repro- 
bation, a  doctrine  which  in  my  religion  is  confessedly  regarded 
as  wholly  and  fundamentally  erroneous ; 

"I  have  thought  it  proper  to  inquire  of  you,  whether  you 
have  a  right  to  make  any  objection  to  my  preaching  there,  as 
I  do  not  want  to  molest  any  one  nor  encroach  upon  his  rights. 
While,  on  the  other  hand,  I  do  not  want  to  surrender  any  of 
the  rights  of  the  Evangelical  elders.  However,  I  have  never 
yet  ascended  a  pulpit  in  opposition  to  any  one,  who  had  a  right 
to  object.  I  find  conditions  such  that  I  must  make  inquiry  of 
Mr.  Boehm.  Afterwards  I  shall  act  as  I  find  it  proper  before 
the  Lord.    I  remain,  Yours  ready  for  service, 

IvUDWIG  VON   ThURNSTEIN, 

V.D.M.  Bed.  Mor.  BE. 
Philadelphia,  January  8/19,  1741/42." 

The  messenger  had  besides  an  open  note  reading  as 
follows : 

"A  receipt  is  necessary,  and  if  Rev.  Mr.  Boehm  is  not  at 
home,  it  ought  to  be  sent  to  him,  so  that  a  reply  may,  if  possible, 
be  secured  before  tomorrow  evening. 
Philadelphia,  January,  8/19,  1741/42." 

"The  messenger  will  be  paid  here  in  Philadelphia". 

That  this  appeared  strange  to  me,  I  cannot  deny.  For,  if 
the  Count  had  not  been  trying  to  gain  something,  he  would 
hardly  have  done  me  the  honor  of  writing  to  such  a  humble 
man  as  myself,  nor  do  I  doubt  that,  if  he  had  been  aware  that 
all  the  affairs  of  the  Herrnhuters  were  known  to  me  from  the 
book,  approved  and  printed  in  Amsterdam  in  1739,  he  would 
have  saved  himself  the  trouble  of  writing.  Hence  I  hesitated, 
nor  did  I  find  it  necessary  or  advisable  to  answer  so  hurriedly. 
But,  out  of  love  for  the  messenger,  who  is  a  daylaborer  from 
Philadelphia  and  needs  his  wages,  I  was  ready  and  willing  to 
give  him  a  note  acknowledging  its  correct  receipt,  which  reads 
as  follows : 

"The  letter  sent  to  me  by  Count  Zinzendorf,  under  date 
January  8,  1742,  through  Michael  Hahn  of  Philadelphia,  I 
have  this  day  received,  which  is  herewith  certified  to  Mr. 
Hahn.  But  the  immediate  answer  which  was  demanded  therein 
to  the  question  whether  I  had  a  right  to  raise  an  objection  to 
Count  Zinzendorf's  preaching  in  the  church,  which  both  Evan- 


LETTER  OF  1742  353 

gelical  congregations  have  in  common,  I  am  unable  to  give  at 
this  time  for  certain  reasons.  Meanwhile  I  adhere  to  the 
words,  which  I  spoke  to  the  Lutheran  elders  at  Philadelphia 
on  December  26,  1741,  namely:  I  think  that  I  have  more  in- 
formation about  these  things  than  many  of  you.  I  therefore 
want  to  protest  against  any  one  saying  that  from  the  Reformed 
people  (or  from  me)  consent  was  given  to  Count  Zinzendorf 
to  preach  in  our  place  and  time.  We  Reformed  people  cannot 
prescribe  to  you  Lutherans.  If  you  do  something  against  your 
own  interests  we  do  not  want  to  have  part  in  the  consequences 
that  may  result.  To  this  I  adhere,  and  remain  of  every  sincere 
person  a  willing  and  devoted  servant". 

"JoHANN  Ph.  Boehm,  Reformed  Minister". 

Now  regarding  this  letter  of  Count  Zinzendorf  sent  to 
me,  I  cannot  believe  that  it  was  written  from  a  sincere  and 
good  motive,  but  more  likely  in  the  hope  of  entrapping  me  in 
an  ill-considered  answer,  which  might  be  used  to  injure  our 
Reformed  churches  and  cause  confusion  among  them,  so  that 
he  might  all  the  better  gain  his  purpose. 

[In  the  following  pages  (pp.  24-61)  Boehm  reviews  and 
criticises  at  length  the  Minutes  of  the  seven  conferences,  which 
were  held  under  the  auspices  of  the  Union  Movement,  from 
January  to  June,  1742.  These  minutes,  entitled  Authentische 
Relation,  etc.,  were  printed  by  Franklin  in  1742.  As  this 
criticism  of  Boehm  is  very  lengthy,  and  contains  little  of  his- 
torical information  of  permanent  value,  only  two  extracts  from 
it  will  be  presented.  The  first  refers  to  an  interesting  incident 
preceding  the  conversion  of  Peter  Miller  to  the  Seventh  Day 
Dunkers]  : 

On  this  third  page  the  writer  refers  to  a  magistrate  and 
the  careful  arrangement  by  which  this  person,  together  with 
others  from  every  known  religion  in  Pennsylvania,  who  could 
understand  the  German  language,  were  induced  to  be  present. 

As  to  the  identity  of  this  magistrate  I  have  heard  from 
people  who  were  present  (but  during  the  day  only)  that  it 
was  Conrad  Weiser  of  Dolpihacken,  who  is  said  to  be  a  justice. 

If  it  is  he,  then  let  every  Evangelical  Christian  think  what 
hope  there  is  that  he  will  do  something  for  the  honor  of  the 
Gospel  of  Christ.  For  when  Peter  Miller,  formerly  a  pretended 
Reformed  minister  in  Dolpihacken,  became  a  real  disgrace  to 

23 


354  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

our  Reformed  churches  when  he  went  over  to  the  Seventh  Day 
Tumplers  [Dunkers]  and  was  baptized  in  Dunker  fashion  and 
with  him  several  others, — this  Conrad  Weiser  was  one  of 
them.  He  was  a  Lutheran*^-  and  at  that  time  an  elder  of  the 
Lutheran  congregation  in  Dolpihacken. 

Again,  when  the  four  Seventh  Day  Tumplers  [Dunkers] 
namely  Peter  Miller  (mentioned  above),  Michael  Miller,  Con- 
rad Weiser  and  Gottfried  Fidler,  burnt  the  Reformed  Heidel- 
berg Catechism,  the  Lutheran  Catechism,  the  Psalms  of  David, 
the  Paradies  Gartlein  [Garden  of  Paradise]  and  the  Exercise 
of  Godliness,  in  all  36  books,  burning  them  in  derision  and 
disparagement  in  Gottfried  Fidler's  house,  he  was  one  of 
them.  Nor  is  it  known  that  since  that  time  he  has  turned  back 
to  his  Lutheran  religion.-^-*    Let  each  one  among  you,  my  be- 

"'  The  Lutheran  membership  of  Conrad  Weiser  has  recently 
been  called  in  question  (see  Dubbs,  Reformed  Church  in  Pennsyh'ania, 
p.  97,  note  96),  but  without  sufficient  reason.  All  contemporary  writers 
are  agreed  that  he  was  a  Lutheran.  This  is  the  testimony  of  Boehm. 
He  would  certainly  not  have  called  him  a  Lutheran  if  he  had  been 
"the  chief  elder  of  the  Tulpehocken  Reformed  Church,"  as  has  been 
claimed.  Peter  Miller,  in  the  Ephrata  Chronicle  (p.  71),  calls  him 
an  "elder  of  the  Lutheran  faith."  Zinzendorf,  in  his  reply  to  Boehm, 
expresses  his  surprize  that  Boehm  referred  to  Weiser,  since  "he  is 
not  Reformed"  (Fresenius,  Bewdhrte  Nachrichten,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  710). 
Weiser  took  part  in  a  Lutheran  communion  service  (Hallesche  Xach- 
richtcn,  new  ed.,  I,  362).  Muehlenberg  reports  him  to  be  a  Lutheran: 
"At  Tulpehocken,  many  years  ago,  some  Lutherans,  among  whom  was 
Mr.  Weiser,  had  taken  up  a  piece  of  land."  Finally  Weiser  himself 
stated,  according  to  Muehlenberg,  that  "he  held  all  the  principles  of  our 
Evangelical  religion"  (Hallesche  Nachrichten,  new  ed.,  I,  449).  The 
fact  that  Weiser  acted  as  trustee  of  the  Reformed  Church  at  Reading 
(Miller,  History  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  Reading,  p.  17)  proves 
nothing,  for  he  was  also  a  trustee  of  the  Lutheran  Church  at  Reading 
(Fry,  History  of  Trinity  Lutheran  Church,  Reading,  1894,  p.  18).  The 
attitude  of  Weiser  at  Tulpehocken  and  his  association  with  Peter 
Miller  is  explained  by  Miller  himself :  "He  was  the  teacher's  main 
stay,  for  they  were  on  intimate  terms  together."  But  friendship  with 
Miller  did  not  constitute  membership  in  the  Reformed  Church.  See 
also  Schmauk,  History  of  the  Lutheran  Church  in  Pennsylvania,  p.  473. 

"*"  The  writer  has  in  his  possession  the  original  of  a  letter  of 
Conrad  Weiser,  dated  September  3,  1743,  by  which  he  separated  his 
connection  with  the  Ephrata  Community.  It  was  translated  and  pub- 
lished in  C.  Z.  Weiser,  Life  of  John  Conrad  Weiser,  2nd  ed.,  Reading, 
1899,  pp.  128-130. 


LETTER  OF  1742  355 

loved,  consider  what  this  means  and  what  supports  the  Count 
is  putting  under  his  building. 

[The  second  extract  deals  with  Henry  Antes]  : 

I  cannot  sufficiently  express  my  surprise  regarding  Henry 
Antes,  who  several  years  ago  severed  his  connection  with  our 
Reformed  congregation  at  Falkner  Schwam,  for  altogether 
reprehensible  reasons.  I  spoke  with  him  several  times  about 
necessary  matters  and,  in  view  of  his  statements,  I  always  en- 
tertained strong  hope  that,  through  the  mercy  of  God,  he 
would  again  come  back  to  the  right  path  (which  hope  I  cannot 
yet  give  up)  although  such  well  known  and  altogether  objec- 
tionable things  have  taken  and  still  take  place.  But  I  sigh  to 
the  gracious  and  merciful  God,  that  He  may  take  pity  on  him 
and  all  those  who  have  gone  astray  through  the  spirit  of  error, 
for  the  sake  of  their  dear  and  immortal  souls.  I  shall  leave  it 
to  every  pious  and  orthodox  Christian  to  have  his  own  thoughts 
about  that  which  Henry  Antes  has  done  and  continues  to  do. 
For  he  was  born  under  the  clear  light  of  the  Gospel  and 
received  Holy  Baptism,  by  which  he  entered  into  the  covenant 
with  God,  which  He  made  with  believers. 

Of  this  covenant  he  was  put  in  remembrance,  according  to 
the  Word  of  God,  of  which  I  have  no  doubt  (for  I  knew  his 
zealous  and  faithful  pastor  well),  at  his  first  participation  in 
the  Lord's  Supper.  At  that  time  he  must  have  promised,  with- 
out doubt,  before  his  pastor  and  the  officers  of  the  Church  of 
Christ,  yea  in  the  presence  of  the  righteous  God,  that  he  would 
remain  faithful,  till  the  end  of  his  life,  to  our  religion,  which 
he  once  accepted  and  which  is  founded  on  the  Word  of  the 
true  and  living  God,  and  alone  leads  to  salvation. 

The  vows  which  he  made  not  to  men  but  to  God  Al- 
mighty he  has  broken.  And  for  several  years  he  has  gone 
about,  through  the  spirit  of  error,  among  all  kinds  of  heretical 
people  and  erroneous  opinions.  At  present  he  allows-  himself 
to  be  used  by  the  above  mentioned  Count  Zinzendorf  in  his  sect, 
being  led  about  like  a  blind  man  with  a  stick. 

Could  one  imagine  that  Henry  Antes,  who  (as  I  willingly 
confess)  has  received  more  than  many  others,  would  so  sin 
against  his  God  and,  leaving  the  truth,  betake  himself  to  such 
a  soul-destroying  doctrine? 

Ah,  in  the  future  perhaps,  when  God's  grace  has  enabled 


356  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

him  to  see  the  depth  of  Satan,  he  will  heartily  humble  himself 
and  consider  that  the  only  searcher  of  hearts  is  not  de- 
ceived by  hypocrisy  and  sham  piety  (which  has  always  ruled 
among  all  self-invented  sects)  for  he  sees  the  thoughts  of  the 
heart  and  nothing  is  hidden  from  him. 

God  knows  well,  regarding  Henry  Antes  and  myself,  how 
both  our  hearts  were  once  bound  together  in  a  cordial  love  for 
the  divine  truth  in  our  Reformed  doctrines.  And  he  has  not 
forgotten,  I  am  sure,  that  he  was  one  of  those  who  by  their 
tears  induced  me  to  take  the  yoke  [of  the  ministry]  upon  my 
neck.^^^  Nor  have  I  on  my  part  been  able  to  forget  this  love, 
and  shall  never  forget  it,  although  I  have  been  much  grieved 
by  him.  And,  when  I  think  of  him,  I  make  mention  of  him  in 
my  prayers  before  God,  asking  Him  to  set  him  and  all  the 
erring  ones  right,  by  the  light  of  His  spirit. 

But  I  would  heartily  and  sincerely  counsel  him,  if  he  will 
accept  it  for  himself,  because  it  concerns  his  immortal  soul,  not 
to  delay  too  long  w'ith  the  honest  examination  of  himself,  and 
not  to  think  that  it  is  no  longer  necessary,  otherwise  it  may  be 
postponed  to  the  end  of  his  life,  of  which  none  knows  how 
near  it  is. 

[On  p.  6i  of  his  book,  Boehm  begins  the  review  and 
criticism  of  another  publication  of  Count  Zinzendorf,  issued  in 
1742,  Brudcr  Ludwig's  Wahrer  Bericht,  etc.,  of  which  the  fol- 
lowing extract  refers  to  the  Reformed  Church  of  Germantown 
and  to  the  meeting  house  in  Philadelphia]  : 

Again,  Count  Zinzendorf  writes:  My  heart  has  always 
felt  at  home  in  the  Reformed  Church,  in  Germantown.  That  I 
can  honestly  say.  (Here  he  himself  confesses  that  it  is  the 
Reformed  church).  Listen,  my  beloved,  this  he  writes  on 
February  20,  1742,  that  his  heart  always  felt  at  home  in  the 
Reformed  church  in  Germantown  and  he  adds,  "if  there  were 
only  three  souls  there,  he  would  sow  [the  seed  of  the  Gospel] 
as  much  as  he  was  able". 

But  what  did  he  say  three  months  later,  on  May  21st,  when 
at  the  same  place  ?    He  called  the  people  of  Germantown  Sepa- 

"^  The  two  men  who,  with  tears  in  their  eyes,  persuaded  Boehm 
to  take  up  the  work  of  the  ministry,  must  have  been  his  two  most 
prominent  elders,  Henry  Antes  and  William  DeWees.     See  also  p.  29. 


LETTER  OF  1742  357 

ratists.  Some  want  to  add  even  more  insulting  terms,  which 
he  applied  to  them  in  his  Christian  and  becoming  zeal,  so  that 
it  was  a  disgrace.  And  what  did  he  say  on  the  30th  of  May 
in  Philadelphia,  when  he  scolded  those  of  Germantown  just 
as  badly  and  even  worse?  And  in  his  conversation  there  he 
tried  to  persuade  his  followers  in  Philadelphia  that  they  should 
rent  the  meeting  house  alone,  so  that  I  might  not  preach  in  it 
any  more  but  he  alone,  otherwise  he  would  not  preach  to 
them  any  longer.  He  also  offered  that  he  would  rather  pay 
the  fourth  part  of  the  rent,  paid  by  the  Reformed  people,  out 
of  his  own  means. 

Is  that  acting  honorably  by  the  Count,  like  a  Christian? 
He  pretends  (falsely  and  blasphemously),  as  can  be  seen  above, 
that  Jesus  has  given  him  the  right  over  all  the  children  of 
God  without  distinction  in  this  country.  Whoever  recognizes 
this  as  sincere,  does  not  know  how  to  make  a  distinction,  and 
will  at  last  be  compelled  to  feel  ashamed  before  himself,  before 
God  and  before  his  fellow-men. 

[On  p.  71  of  his  book,  Boehm  returns  once  more  to  the 
minutes  of  the  Union  Conferences.  In  this  part  the  sections 
referring  to  John  Bechtel  are  of  interest]  : 

"When  the  catechization  according  to  the  new  (but  as  I 
shall  show  false)  catechism  was  finished,  then,  after  having 
read  the  autograph  commission  of  the  two  antistites-^*  of  the 
united  Evangelical  churches  of  Germany  and  Great  Poland, 
their  vicar  in  America  ordained  our  brother  John  Bechtel,  thus 
far  the  faithful  minister  of  the  Evangelical  Reformed  church 
of  this  place,  before  the  assembled  congregation,  as  pastor  of 
this  church  and  commissioner  of  all  the  others  who  hold,  in  the 
chief  doctrinal  points  to  the  Synod  of  Berne,  in  the  name  of 

***  The  two  men  were :  Daniel  Ernst  Jablonski,  court  preacher 
of  the  King  of  Prussia,  and  Christian  Sitkovius,  superintendent  of 
the  Reformed  churches  of  Poland.  These  two  men  were  at  the  same 
time  bishops  of  the  ancient  Brethren  Church  of  Moravia  and  Bohemia. 
On  March  1.3,  17.3.5,  Bishop  Jablonski,  with  the  written  concurrence 
of  Bishop  Sitkovius,  conferred  episcopal  ordination  upon  David  Nitsch- 
man.  He  is  referred  to  above  as  "their  vicar  in  America."  The 
intention  of  this  ordination  was,  without  question,  to  create  a  Moravian 
bishop.  Sitkovious  could  not  transmit  his  authority  over  the  churches 
of  Poland,  and  hence  Boehm  was  perfectly  justified  in  questioning 
Bishop  Nitschman's  right  to  ordain  Reformed  ministers. 


358  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

the  Father,  the  Son  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  the  two  deacons, 
whom  he  appointed,  were  associated  with  him". 

Behold,  Beloved,  how  they  write  here  about  an  autograph 
letter  of  the  two  authorized  officials  of  the  united  Evangelical 
churches  of  Germany  and  Great  Poland  and  of  one  appointed 
as  their  vicar  in  America,  but  who  these  authorized  officials 
and  their  vicar  appointed  by  them  are  is  passed  over  in  silence. 
(It  is,  according  to  report,  the  so-called  Brethren  Bishop,  David 
Nitschmann,  hence  a  Herrnhuter).    .    .    . 

Now  with  regard  to  John  Bechtel  one  should  think  that  he 
would  feel  ashamed  to  stand  on  the  ground  upon  which  his  feet 
rest,  if  he  has  no  higher  thought.  Inasmuch  as  he  has  tainted 
himself  for  some  time  with  all  kinds  of  heretical  opinions  and 
ran  after  them  most  sedulously.  Thus  he  has  been  a  despiser 
of  the  fundamentals  of  our  Reformed  doctrine  and  of  the 
Heidelberg  Catechism  and  an  evident  hypocrite,  as  is  known  to 
almost  all  men.  And  now  he  allows  himself  to  be  ordained  by 
these  enthusiasts  as  pastor  of  a  Reformed  church  and  as  a 
commissioner  of  all  the  others  [Reformed]  in  this  country. 
This  will  never  be  recognized  as  valid  by  the  learned  men  and 
overseers  of  our  Reformed  churches.  For  he  cannot  be  counted 
as  anything  else  but  an  enthusiast  and,  until  his  complete  con- 
version and  repentance  of  his  grave  error,  he  cannot  be  re- 
garded as  a  member  of  our  Reformed  church,  much  less  as  a 
pastor  of  a  Reformed  congregation  and  for  the  time  being  as 
commissioner  over  all  the  others.  Likewise  all  those  who 
allow  him  to  administer  to  them  the  sacraments  cannot  be  ad- 
mitted to  the  table  of  the  Lord  in  a  Reformed  congregation, 
before  their  complete  conversion  and  repentance. 

Nevertheless  these  Herrnhuters  want  to  give  full  legality 
to  this  affair  by  calling  this  John  Bechtel  "hitherto  the  faithful 
pastor  of  the  Reformed  church  here".  Regarding  this  I  need 
not  write  much,  but  I  must  express  my  surprise  (for  he  him- 
self must  be  convinced  of  the  falseness  of  this  statement)  that 
he  allowed  this  to  be  done,  without  shame,  to  his  own  disgrace. 
For  it  is  well  known  to  most  of  the  people  in  this  country 
(who  are  German  Protestants)  that  this  is  an  absolute  lie. 

Nor  can  I  note  with  sufficient  astonishment  that  this  John 
Bechtel  himself  makes  use  of  such  shameful  untruths,  calling 
himself  a  Reformed  minister  and  proudly  boasting  of  the  pub- 


LETTER  OF  1742  359 

lication  of  a  pietistic  book,  under  the  name  of  a  catechism, 
whose  title  reads  verbatim  as  follows : 

"A  Short  Catechism  for  some  congregations  of  Jesus  of 
the  Reformed  religion  in  Pennsylvania,  who  hold  to  the  ancient 
Synod  of  Berne.  Published  by  John  Bechtel,  Minister  of  the 
Word  of  God.  Philadelphia,  printed  by  Benjamin  Franklin, 
1742." 

Is  this  not  an  empty  bragging  with  his  invalid  ordination, 
which  he  received  from  these  enthusiasts,  by  which  his  ob- 
noxious pride  can  most  clearly  be  seen.  Behold,  Beloved,  what 
else  is  aimed  at  hereby  but  a  division  of  our  Reformed  churches 
in  Pennsylvania?  For  we  have  the  Heidelberg  Catechism, 
which  is  in  use  among  us  and  which  is  embodied  in  our  Church 
Order,  approved  and  well  established  by  the  Reverend  Classis 
of  Amsterdam  (to  which  the  largest  number  of  the  Reformed 
congregations  in  Pennsylvania  have  long  submitted).  Hence 
we  have  no  need  of  such  a  catechism,  published  by  John 
Bechtel,  a  man  who  has  gone  over  to  the  sect  of  the  Herrn- 
huters  and  has  become  unfaithful  to  the  Reformed  churches. 
Yet  it  is  perfectly  clear  that  he  only  shot  off  the  bullet  which 
Count  Zinzendorf  had  cast. 

[Then  follows  a  lengthy  criticism  of  this  catechism  ex- 
tending from  p.  79-84,  after  which  he  continues  as  follows:] 

This  little  book  John  Bechtel  calls  a  catechism  for  some 
Reformed  churches  of  the  Reformed  religion  in  Pennsylvania, 
which  hold  to  the  Synod  of  Berne.  Yet  there  is  in  it  from 
beginning  to  end  not  a  word  of  the  articles  of  our  Christian 
faith  (that  is  omitted  because  the  Herrnhuters  do  not  want  to 
pray  to  God  the  Father,  but  only  to  the  Saviour,  as  has  been 
stated  before).  Nor  is  there  in  it  a  word  about  Holy  Baptism 
or  Holy  Communion,  no  word  about  the  holy  commandments  of 
God,  and  no  word  about  the  most  holy  prayer,  which  our 
Saviour  has  taught  us  to  pray.  How  then,  my  beloved,  yea  I 
ask  all  Christians  of  whatever  denomination  they  may  be,  how 
can  this  booklet  justly  be  called  a  catechism  for  some  congrega- 
tions of  Jesus  by  John  Bechtel?  And  with  the  addition,  for 
those  who  hold  to  the  Synod  of  Berne !  Who  can  be  so  simple 
as  to  believe  that  the  Christian  Synod  of  Berne  would  recognize 
this  book  as  a  catechism  for  the  congregations  of  Jesus  be- 
longing to  the  Reformed  religion.    This  is  altogether  evident, 


360  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

if  one  holds  alongside  of  it  the  true  Berne  Catechism,  approved 
by  the  authorities  there  and  printed  in  Berne,  in  the  govern- 
ment printing  office  in  1688.     .     . 

Hence  John  Bechtel  will  'not  succeed  in  persuading  the 
sincere  Evangelical  Reformed  members  of  our  churches  to 
recognize  his  ministerial  office,  to  which  he  lays  claim  in  the 
booklet  published  by  him.  I  also  entertain  the  hope  that  God 
will  give  grace  to  his  people  so  that  they  will  be  able  to 
recognize  the  hurtful  and  cunningly  mixed-in  poison  in  the 
food  prepared  for  them,  before  they  swallow  it.  For  God  has 
given  so  much  wisdom,  according  to  His  Grace,  to  every  honest 
Evangelical  Christian,  that  he  can  distinguish  between  black 
and  white,  even  if  both  are  simply  labelled:  Color.  But,  be- 
cause of  this  one  word,  the  one  will  not  be  taken  for  the  other, 
because  the  words  black  and  white  clearly  distinguish  the 
matter. 

For  this  reason  mark  this.  Beloved,  whoever  calls  himself 
truthfully  an  Evangelical  Reformed  minister  must  necessarily 
have  been  ordained  and  installed  by  overseers  of  this  religion 
who  have  the  power  to  do  this  and  not  by  enthusiasts.  Judge 
yourselves,  dear  brethren,  how  can  they  ordain  ministers  for 
the  Evangelical  churches? 

Now  this  John  Bechtel,  as  has  been  stated  above,  was  or- 
dained by  these  enthusiasts  as  a  Reformed  pastor  of  the 
Evangelical  Reformed  church  here  (Germantown  is  meant) 
and  for  the  time  being  as  commissioner  over  all  the  others 
who  in  the  chief  doctrines,  hold  to  the  Synod  of  Berne. 

Behold,  Beloved,  this  cunning  and  impertinent  malice  of 
these  enthusiasts,  for  such  procedure  is  unheard  of,  how  they 
seek  to  carry  on  their  affairs  by  force  to  advance  their  Herrn- 
hutish  Saviour.  From  which  it  can  be  inferred  what  they 
would  do  if  they  had  the  power. 

What  is  to  be  thought  of  this  John  Bechtel  and  all  those 
who  recognize  and  accept  his  work,  and  what  ought  to  be  done 
with  them,  has  been  intimated  above. 

This  John  Bechtel,  in  the  first  place,  has  been  ordained 
(illegally,  for  they  had  no  right  to  it),  which  needs  no  further 
proof,  by  such  sectarians,  who  publicly  through  print  have  been 
declared  before  all  the  world  to  be  enthusiasts  and  spiritists. 
Must  he  not  be  the  same  as  they,  and  one  of  their  teachers? 


LETTER  OF  1742  361 

For, 

In  the  second  place,  in  Germantown,  when  the  Herrn- 
huters  held  there  their  so-called  love  feast,  he  was  present  as 
a  member  and,  as  is  reported,  was  the  first  to  receive  the 
bread.  Must  he,  therefore,  not  be  regarded  as  a  Herrnhuter? 
Judge  for  yourselves,  Beloved ! 

Nevertheless,  he  dared  impertinently  to  administer  the 
Lord's  Supper  to  the  Reformed  people  in  Germantown,  on  the 
second  Easter  day,  at  which  occasion  a  number  of  simple  peo- 
ple, who  formerly  adhered  to  the  Reformed  religion,  received 
it  from  him.  Thus  they  followed  him  and  apostatized  from 
our  Reformed  Church. 

By  this  instance  it  can  be  seen  how  cunningly  and  craftily 
they  seek  to  captivate  the  poor  people  with  their  soul-destroy- 
ing Herrnhutish  ropes. 

Thereupon  he  announced  to  all  the  Reformed  people  of 
Germantown  and  neighborhood,  that  they  should  assemble  in 
the  Reformed  church  there  on  Monday  following  Pentecost, 
which  was  done.  At  that  time  Bechtel  proposed  to  them  to 
organize  the  Reformed  church  in  Germantown.  To  which 
end  each  one  who  wanted  to  be  a  member  of  the  congrega- 
tion and  desired  to  hold  to  the  Berne  Synod  (which  is  an 
unknown  quanity  to  most  people  here)  should  put  down  his 
name.  He  was  willing  to  be  their  ordained  minister  (in  what 
manner  and  with  what  validity  has  been  shown  above)  and 
would  be  ready  to  administer  the  sacraments  in  the  Reformed 
manner,  and  would  teach  a  catechism,  the  Heidelberg,  or 
Basle  or  Berne  Catechism,  whichever  they  desired.  Where- 
upon (as  is  related)  about  ly  or  i8  persons  answered  in  the 
affirmative  and  signed  their  names. 

Behold,  dear  brethren,  for  what  purpose  John  Bechtel 
allows  himself  to  be  used  by  the  Herrnhuters  and  how  willing 
he  is  to  become  a  cunning  and  tempting  recruiting  officer  for 
this  Herrnhutish  sect,  and  in  all  earnestness  desires  to  assist 
in  making  our  Reformed  Church  here  in  Pennsylvania  Herrn- 
hutish or  Zinzendorfian,  or  at  least  in  giving  her  that  name 
and  in  making  her  suspected  in  all  the  world,  as  though  she 
had  completely  gone  over  to  this  soul   destroying  and  con- 


362  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

science  wrecking  doctrine,^^^  had  become  unfaithful  and  had 
been  captivated  with  Herrnhutish  ropes.  This  with  the  re- 
sult that  all  favor  and  love  of  our  divinely  blessed  fellow- 
believers  here  and  there  and  all  their  Christian  help  would  be 
cut  off  from  our  Church  in  this  country.  This,  if  we  were 
silent,  would  be  spread  throughout  the  world  with  loud  boast- 
ing, according  to  their  usual  custom. 

But  in  this  he,  a  hypocrite,-^''  who  for  years  roamed  about 
among  all  kinds  of  sects  (which  needs  no  further  proof,  but 
is  well  known  to  every  one)  will,  as  I  hope  to  God,  com- 
pletely fail.  For  he  received  his  share  [of  condemnation]  — 
because  of  his  conduct  at  the  first  Herrnhuter  assembly,  held 
on  the  first  and  second  of  January,  1742,  in  Germantown, — in 
the  official  protestation  then  issued.  This  protestation  I  will 
now  insert  here  verbatim,  in  order  that  you,  my  dear  congre- 
gations, may  see  how  I  discharged  my  duty  as  your  regular 
pastor  and  all  the  elders  then  in  office.  The  same  reads  as 
follows : 

"Whereas  we,  the  undersigned  minister,  elders  and  dea- 
cons of  the  High  German  Evangelical  Reformed  congrega- 
tions here  in  Pennsylvania,  have  seen  a  so-called  Authentic 
Relation,  etc.,  which  was  drawn  up  regarding  a  meeting  of 
all  kinds  of  people,  of  every  persuasion,  which  took  place  Jan- 
uary 2,  1741/2,  in  the  house  of  Theobald  Ent  in  Germantown, 

and 

"Whereas  we  have  read  in  it  on  p.  7,  that  the  writer  of  this 
Relation,  with  the  grossest  perversion  (of  the  truth),  ex- 
pressed himself  in  these  words:  "When  no  one  else  was  ex- 
pected to  appear,  a  brother  of  the  Reformed  religion  prayed 

"'  Boehm  knew  the  doctrines  of  the  Moravians  largely  through 
second-hand  sources.  He  trusted  too  much  in  the  judgment  of  the 
authorities  in  Holland,  whose  objectionable  style  he  also  adopted. 
That  the  doctrines  of  the  Moravians  are  now  thoroughly  evangelical 
can  be  seen  by  a  reference  to  the  Moravian  Manual,  Bethlehem,  1901, 
pp.  85-91. 

""There  is  no  evidence  that  Bechtel  or  those  Reformed  mem- 
bers who  sympathized  with  him  were  hypocrites.  Boehm  evidently 
could  not  understand  how  one's  sympathies  could  pass  beyond  the 
narrow  denominational  lines.  Bechtel  was,  according  to  all  accounts, 
a  sincere  soul,  to  whom  denominational  creeds  meant  nothing,  but  faith 
in  Jesus  Christ  as  his  Saviour  everything. 


LETTER  OF  1742  363 

very  heartily,"  etc.,  and 

"Whereas  we  know  of  no  true,  steadfast  member  of  our 
Evangelical  Reformed  Church,  who  has  tainted  himself  with 
this  doctrine  that  is  of  ill-repute  in  Holland,  Germany  and 
all  other  places  (of  which  we  have  a  sufficiently  thorough 
and  reliable  report),  and  can  therefore  not  regard  this  in  any 
other  light  than  an  endeavor  to  throw  suspicion  upon  our  Re- 
formed Church  in  this  country  before  all  our  fellow-believers 
in  all  places  of  the  world,  as  though  she  was  implicated  in  this 
aJTair, 

"Therefore  we,  as  officers  of  our  congregations,  cannot 
let  this  matter  rest,  but  want  to  protest,  vigorously  and  with 
every  formality,  against  such  an  impertinent  and  cunning  false- 
hood. And  we  protest  constantly  (against  this  as  well  as  every 
future  attempt),  inasmuch  as  we  cannot  recognize  as  a  brother 
in  communion  with  us  any  one,  whoever  he  may  be,  who 
separates  himself  from  our  Church  or  has  already  been  sepa- 
rated, or  will  in  future  separate  himself,  and  who  professes  his 
adherence  to  such  an  assembly  and  its  doctrine,  mixed  with 
all  kinds  of  opinions,  until  he  shall  fully  return  to  the  divine 
truth  upon  which  our  doctrine  is  founded.  Whereunto  we 
herewith  testify  and  sign  it  with  our  own  hands : 

JoHANN  Philip  Boehm,  Minister. 

"Elders  and  Deacons  of  the  High  German  Reformed 
Congregations  in  Pennsylvania,  mentioned  below. 

"In  the  months  of  February  and  March,  1742. 

In  Falckner  Schwamm : 

In  Schippach:  John  Dirck  den  Hengst,  elder 

Adam  Meyrer,  elder.  John  Dunckel,  elder. 

Jacob  Arnet,  elder.  Frederick  Reimer,  elder. 

Andrew  Oberbeck,  elder.  John  Jacob  Kraus,  elder. 

Henry  Wuhrmann,  deacon.  John  Ditrich  Bucher,  deacon. 

Adam  Roeder,  deacon. 

In  Philadelphia: 
Rudolf  Weilecken,  elder.  At  Weitmarge: 

Henry  Klemmer,  elder.  William  Deewees,  elder. 

Jacob  Walter,  elder.  Christopher  Ottinger,  elder. 

Nicholas  Ewig,  elder.  Michael  Cleim,  deacon. 

John  Ludwig  Seipel,  deacon.       Philip  Scherer,  deacon. 
Philip  Burckhard,  deacon. 


364  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

In  Tulpohokin : 

Henry  Meyer,  elder. 

Henry  Zeller,  elder.  ^  ,       .      ^'      ,     ,  , 

^  TT       u     ij  Sebastian  Graef,  elder. 

George  Unruh,  elder.  .,...,.     , , 

Tit    .■     o  L  11     u  Frederick  Leibi,  elder. 
Martin  Schell,  elder. 

T  ,     T-     1-         J  Henry  Werner,  deacon. 
John  roehrer,  deacon.  ■' 

Peter  Schell,  deacon. 

[There  can  be  no  question  that  Count  Zinzendorf  himself 
provoked  a  good  deal  of  criticism  by  his  own  arbitrary  and  un- 
precedented actions,  which  clashed  unpleasantly  with  ordinary 
custom.    The  following  incident  may  serve  as  an  example]  : 

On  p.  112  they  boast  "All  those  who  were  present  were 
deeply  moved  when  on  the  second  of  June  the  child  of  a 
stocking  weaver  in  Philadelphia,  a  Swiss,  received  baptism  (ad- 
ministered by  Count  Zinzendorf).  What  caused  this  commo- 
tion can  be  learned  from  those  who  were  present.  I  was  told, 
that  when  they  wanted  to  bare  the  head  of  the  child,  the  Count 
said  it  was  not  necessary.  For  sins  ought  to  be  washed  away 
from  the  heart.  He  told  them  to  open  the  dress  of  the  child  in 
front.  When  that  was  done,  he  poured  a  considerable  amount 
of  water  into  the  bosom  of  the  child,  and  said :  I  baptize  thee 
with  the  blood  of  Christ,  in  the  name,  etc.  Let  each  one 
judge  for  himself  whether  it  is  found  in  Scripture  that  such 
things  should  be  done  and  said,  as  the  Count  did  and  said. 
Another  child  was  present,  which,  as  is  related,  was  more  than 
a  year  old.  This  was  too  old  for  the  Count  to  do  to  him  the 
same  as  to  the  child  just  born.  "He  therefore  laid  his  hands 
upon  it,  because  it  had  passed  the  period  of  purest  innocence, 
and  he  handed  it  over  to  baptism  as  a  candidate,  exorcised  in 
future  through  faith".  (This  is  again  a  newly  invented  method 
of  the  Count). 

[A  serious  clash  occurred  on  July  i8,  1742,  in  the  Luth- 
eran and  Reformed  meeting  house  in  Philadelphia.  Boehm 
refers  to  it  as  follows:] 

After  they  had  falsely  and  untruthfully  persuaded  the 
Lutherans  that  they  were  true  Lutherans,  and  had  induced 
them  to  believe  them,  they  accepted  the  Count  and  his  repre- 
sentatives to  preach  for  them.  But,  when  they  wanted  to  ad- 
minister the  Lord's  Supper  to  them  in  the  church,  on  Easter 
Monday  of   this   year    (which   I   curtly   refused   them,   when 


LETTER  OF  1742  365 

Pyrlaeus,  one  of  his  apostles  asked  me  for  it,  because  it  was 
my  time  and  place,  in  order  that  they  might  not  glory  over  the 
Reformed)  those  of  the  Lutheran  congregation,  who  never 
wanted  to  have  anything  to  do  with  them,  were  brought  to 
serious  thought  and  realized  with  the  others  that  fraud  was 
practised  on  them  and  that  their  affair  was  nothing  but  pure 
deception.  They,  therefore,  locked  the  door,^^''  because  they 
were  found  to  be  no  Lutherans.  This  lock  they  (the  Herm- 
huters),  together  with  some  few  who  were  attached  to  them, 
broke  open  with  irons  and  tongs.  The  outcome  of  the  affair, 
because  the  lockbreaker  was  bound  over  for  court,  has  to  be 
awaited.  Now,  what  do  you  think  of  such  people,  Beloved? 
Judge  for  yourselves !  Are  they  true  Evangelical  Christians  ? 
Are  they  shepherds  coming  in  through  the  right  door  (which 
is  nothing  but  a  regular  call  and  commission)  to  guard  the 
best  interests  of  the  sheep  P^^'''* 

"'  There  is  no  evidence  whatsoever  that  Boehm  had  anything  to 
do  with  this  change  of  the  lock,  or  that  he  had  suggested  it,  as  has 
been  stated  recently.  The  Moravians  naturally  blamed  the  Reformed, 
because  they  appear  to  have  entertained  the  delusion  that  all  the  Luth- 
erans were  on  their  side.  When  dissatisfaction  broke  out  among  the 
Lutherans  they  at  once  charged  it  to  the  Reformed  members.  In  this 
they  were  certainly  mistaken,  as  is  evident  from  the  account  of 
Muehlenberg,  printed  below. 

'"'  How  intensely  Boehm  felt  about  this  incident  can  be  seen 
from  a  letter  of  Secretary  Peters,  who  wrote,  on  January  15,  1743,  to 
the  proprietaries,  informing  them  of  this  incident.  He  had  not  fath- 
omed the  true  character  of  the  triangular  controversy.  He  had  only 
mastered  it  so  far  that  he  knew  that  it  was  a  fight  between  the  fol- 
lowers of  Zinzendorf,  or  the  Moravians,  and  the  Lutherans.  Of  the 
Reformed  party  he  had  apparently  never  heard  and  took  Pastor  Boehm 
for  a  Lutheran  minister.  But  his  graphic  picture  of  Boehm  probably 
approaches  correctness.  He  wrote :  "There  is  a  great  quarrel  between 
ye  Lutherans  and  Moravians,  chiefly  on  account  of  principles.  The 
Count's  party  increasing  considerably,  the  Lutheran  minister,  Philip 
Boehm,  could  not  bear  it.  The  Lutheran  meeting  house  is  on  a  lot 
of  Mr.  Allen's,  and  by  contract  with  the  Lutherans,  as  I  understand, 
ye  Moravians  were  to  use  it  every  third  Sunday.  Philip  Boehm 
wanted  to  hinder  them  from  this  contract,  and  finding  no  other  method 
would  do,  one  Sunday  morning,  as  Christopher  Pyrlaeus  was  per- 
forming Divine  service,  a  party  of  Lutherans  appeared  at  ye  door.    He 

took   no    notice Ye   Lutherans    then    came    on    with 

violence,  and  drove  him  and  the  Moravians  out  of  the  meeting  house, 


366  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

[COMMOTION   IN  THE   PHILADELPHIA   MEETING   HOUSE, 
JULY   18,   1742.] 

[The  same  incident  is  described  more  at  length  in  a  report  of 
John  Adam  Gruber,  a  resident  of  Gcrmantown,  which  was  published 
by  the  Rev.  John  Philip  Fresenius,  in  his  Bewdhrte  Nachrichten  von 
Herrnhutischen  Sachen,  Frankford,  1748,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  205-207]  : 

On  July  18  [1742],  it  happened  in  Philadelphia,  that,— after  Mr. 
Pirleus,  whom  Mr.  Ludwig  [Zinzendorf]  had  installed  as  Lutheran 
preacher  in  his  place,  had  preached  several  times  in  the  church  which 
the  German  Protestants  use  in  common,— those  Lutherans  who  did 
not  adhere  to  him  and  Mr.  Ludwig.  did  not  suffer  him  to  preach  any 
more  and,  being  stirred  up  as  related  above,  they  put  a  lock  on  the 
door.  But  Mr.  Pirleus  and  his  adherents,  who  refused  to  desist, 
broke  the  door  open  (some  had  said  that  it  cost  only  ten  pounds  to 
do  that)  and  when  he  [Pyrlaeus]  was  in  the  pulpit  and  preached,  the 
opponents  came  in  and  objected.  They  told  him  to  leave,  but  when 
he  did  not  comply,  saying  he  had  first  to  tell  them  something,  they 
warned  him  again  to  leave  or  they  would  use  force.  But  he  was 
not  willing  to  go.  Then  two  of  them  took  him  by  the  arm  and  led 
him  out.  About  this  a  great  tumult  arose,  many  hard  words  and  also 
some  pushes  with  the  elbows  were  given.  Then  those  inclined  to  the 
Herrnhuters  ran  to  the  magistrates  and  complained  that  the  others 
had  pulled  out  Mr.  Pirleus  by  the  hair  (which  was  not  true),  while 
their  people  had  been  as  patient  as  lambs.  They  also  boasted  every- 
where about  their  sufferings  for  the  sake  of  Christ.  Both  parties  were 
bound  over  by  the  magistrate  for  court.  An  attempt  was  made  to 
have  the  Herrnhuters  and  the  others  compose  their  differences  peace- 
fully, but  they  did  not  want  to.  When  Mr.  Ludwig  [Zinzendorf] 
heard  it,  he  hurried  down  from  the  Indians  with  some  of  his  com- 
panions, accused  the  opponents  violently,  insisted  on  his  rights,  saying 
they  had  called  him  as  their  minister,  he  would  assert  his  right  and, 
if  the  court  would  not  give  him  his  right,  he  would  bring  the  case 
before  the  Supreme  Court,  and,  if  he  could  not  get  his  right  there, 
he  would  bring  it  before  Parliament  in  England.  Now,  he  said,  he 
would   preach  there  himself  and  would   see  what  they  could   do  with 

and   locked   ye   doors.     The   Count  got   the   Lutherans   indicted    for   a 

riot At  the  trial,  ye  Lutherans  were  acquitted.     There  is 

indeed  a  mortal  aversion  between  Boehm's  congregation  and  ye  Count's 

people I  tried  to  soften  and  accommodate  ye  differences 

between  ye  two  parties,  and  thought  I  had  some  influence  on  Boehm ; 
but  ye  moment  I  mentioned  it  his  eyes  perfectly  struck  fire,  and  he 
declared  with  great  passion  he  would  as  soon  agree  with  ye  devil 
as  with  ye  Count.  He  is  a  hot,  indiscreet  man ;  and  after  expatiating 
on  the  Christianity  of  his  temper,  I  left  him  with  abundance  of 
contempt."  Quoted  by  Mr.  Dotterer  in  his  Rev.  John  Philip  Bochm, 
Philadelphia,  1890,  p.  1-5.    The  original  is  in  the  Pa.  Hist.  Soc. 


LETTER  OF  1742  367 

him.  But  when  he  came  with  his  people,  the  others  were  already  in 
the  church,  one  of  them  reading  a  sermon.  He  stopped  when  Mr. 
Ludwig  entered,  but  he  told  him  to  finish.  When  he  wanted  to  speak 
after  the  former  had  concluded  a  tumult  arose,  especially  some  of  the 
women  scolded  him  violently  and  threatened,  if  he  would  dare  to 
stand  up  and  speak,  something  bad  would  happen  to  him.  They  did 
not  want  him  under  any  circumstances.  Then  he  went  away  trembling, 
together  with  his  adherents,  saying  he  would  preach  there  until  he  had 
built  a  new  church,  etc.  Meanwhile  he  gave  orders  that  his  adherents 
should  buy  a  place  and  build  a  new  church,  which  was  done  and  it 
was  completed  in  a  few  months.  This  fight  about  lumber  and  stones 
continued  till  he  left  the  country.  Indeed  it  even  increased,  for  his 
followers  were  sued  about  the  cup  and  the  church  record,  which  were 
in  the  hands  of  one  of  his  followers.  A  few  days  after  his  [Zinzen- 
dorf's]  departure  the  suit  was  decided  in  court,  by  which  his  followers 
drew  the  short  end. 

[Rev.  H.  M.  Muehlenberg  in  his  Autobiography   (p.  139f)    also 
gives  a  detailed  account  of  these  events.     He  writes]  : 

The  Count  had  at  first  passed  himself  off  as  a  Lutheran  minister 
and   had  induced  the  people  to  give  him   a  written   call,  but  without 
their  signatures,  as  they  assured  me.     After  he  had  preached  for  the 
Lutherans   several  times   in   an  old   house,   which   they  had   rented   in 
common  with  the  Reformed  congregation,  the  Lutherans  became  sus- 
picious and  scattered.     Each  one  of  the  officers  took  what  he  could 
lay  his  hands  on  to  keep  it  safely,  e.  g.,  one  took  the  church  record, 
another  the  collection  bag,  a  third  the  alms-box,  a  fourth  the  cup,  etc. 
Afterwards  one  of  the   deacons    (Thomas   Maier)    put  a  lock  on  the 
meeting  house.     When  on  the   following   Sunday  it  was   the   turn   of 
the    Lutherans    to    have    services,    the    Count    sent    his    assistant,    Mr. 
Pirleus.   together   with  the  people  whom   he   had   won   over   from   the 
Lutherans,   to   the   meeting   house.     They   broke   off   the   lock   with   a 
piece  of  iron,  entered,   sang  and   Mr.   Pirleus  ascended   the  pulpit  to 
preach.     The  Lutherans  and  Reformed  stood  outside.     Then  a  Luth- 
eran  elder   went  in   and   called  upon   Mr.   Pirleus  to  leave  the  house 
with    his    people.      Mr.    Pirleus    answered:      "You    are    no    Lutherans, 
you  are  going  the  wrong  way."     Then  several  Reformed  men  entered 
and  pulled  Mr.  Pirleus  out  of  the  house.     These  unlawful  actions  on 
Sunday,  the  breaking  of  the  lock,  scolding,  etc.,  gave  of  course  much 
offense,  so  that  the  Governor  took  occasion  to  ask,  why  the  Germans 
were  beating  their  women?     It  became  a  great  tumult.     They  pushed 
each   other   and    stepped    on    each   other.     The   women    screamed,   etc. 
There  were  many  spectators.     The  Zinzendorfians  brought  the  matter 
before  Court,  suing  the  Reformed  and  Lutherans.     It  has  become  a 
long  drawn  out  affair  and  is  still  before  the  Court.    That  party  which 
has  the  most  votes,  of  those  that  rented  the  house  will  win.     There 
are  said  to  be  many  more  Reformed   and  Lutherans  than  those  that 
broke  away  and  went  over  to  the  Zinzendorfian  party.     Consequently 
the  Lutherans  and  Reformed  had  a  right  to  the  meeting  house  they 


368  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

had  rented  and  the  Zinzendorfians  had  no  right  to  break  off  the  lock. 
This  tumult  which  I  have  just  described  took  place  on  the  18th  of 
July,  1742,  old  style.  About  two  weeks  later,  when  the  Lutherans  had 
begun  their  services  with  singing  and  reading,  the  Count  with  his 
people  entered.  The  Lutheran  officers  warned  him  urgently  to  leave 
and  not  to  disturb  them.  He  then  withdrew.  Some  time  later  they 
wanted  to  compose  their  differences  peacefully.  To  that  end  some 
elders  from  the  congregation  at  Philadelphia  and  some  from  the 
Providence  congregation  on  the  one  part,  and  Mr.  Peter  Boehler  on 
the  part  of  the  Count  met,  but  they  could  not  agree.  Mr.  Boehler 
submitted  to  them  written  articles  of  doubtful  propriety.  When 
among  other  things  they  held  up  to  Mr.  Boehler  the  wrong  of  break- 
ing open  the  lock,  he  illustrated  their  right  with  a  fitting  comparison, 
namely  "if  pigs  came  before  a  locked  barn  and  wanted  to  get  in  they 
would  take  hold  of  the  door  and  lift  it  off  its  hinges  with  their 
snouts."  Whereupon  the  elders  answered  him:  "Then  the  pigs  must 
also  submit,  if  the  owner  of  the  barn  comes  and  drives  them  out  with 
a  whip." 

[Regarding  this  incident  the  Reformed  and  Lutheran  congrega- 
tions issued  jointly  the  following  official  protest,  which  is  inserted 
verbatim  and  literatim:] 

A  Protestation  of  the  several  Members  of  the  Protestant  Luth- 
erian  and  Reformed  Religions  in  the  City  of  Philadelphia,  jointly  con- 
cerned in  the  Lease  of  their  Meeting  House  in  Arch  Street,  about  the 
■late  Commotion  which  happened  on  Sunday,  the  18th  of  July,  1742. 

The  members  aforesaid  have  thought  it  absolutely  necessary  to 
acquaint  their  Fellow  Citizens  of  the  remainder  Persuasions,  or  whom 
it  may  concern  in  general,  that  the  said  Commotion  at  the  time  and 
place  aforesaid,  can  no  ways  be  imputed  to  any  tumultuous  disposition 
of  theirs;  for  they  hereby  freely  appeal  to  every  one  that  has  been  a 
liver  in  this  province  and  especially  to  them  that  reside  in  this  city  of 
Philadelphia,  whether  they  have  not  (ever  since  the  first  time  they 
began  to  constitute  a  body  in  this  place)  always  behaved  calmly, 
peaceably,  quiet  and  obedient  to  the  civil  Magistrates,  and  no  ways 
disturbing  neither  the  public  peace  nor  that  of  any  other  persuasions 
either  publickly  or  privately?  Challenging  by  these  presents  every  one 
(excepted  only  those  that  became  of  the  late  Proselytes  to  our  pres- 
ent Adversaries  the  Moravians,  as  they  are  commonly  called)  to  prove 
an>-thing  to  the  contrary  against  them. 

Whence  therefore  this  new  and  unexpected  alarm?  Whence 
all  this  rumor  and  commotion?  Whence  this  importuning  of  our 
worthy  magistrates,  to  protect  every  quiet  and  orderly  behaving  sub- 
ject in  their  Religious  Worship?  Certainly  and  undoubtedly  for  none 
else  but  from  these  newcomers,  who  by  their  disturbing  Genius,  as 
they  have  set  several  places  in  Europe  in  great  confusion,  wherefore 
they  have  been  cast  out  of  divers  places  (as  appears  by  undoubted 
and  approved  testimonies  sent  over  to  us  from  our  churches  in  Europe) 
so  they  have  acted  the  same  in  other  places  of  this  province,  especially 


LETTER  OF  1742  369 

about  Tulpehocken. 

These  Moravians,  or  rather  missionaries  of  that  societ>',  pretend 
to  adhere  to  certain  articles  of  a  Synod  of  Bern,  of  more  antiquity  and 
consequently,  as  they  pretend,  of  better  authority  than  our  Confession 
of  Augsburg  and  that  of  the  Catechism  of  Heidelberg,  pretending  also 
the  present  existence  of  such  an  united  Church  in  Germany  and  Poland 
(against  all  which  we  solemnly  protest).  In  pursuance  of  this  they 
are  wont  to  metamorphize  themselves  into  Lutherians,  sometimes  into 
Reformed,  nay  into  all  religions,  by  which  means  they  get  their  prose- 
lytes, which  they  afterwards  employ  to  subvert  the  constitution  main- 
tained by  the  rest,  whilst  they  themselves  keep  behind  the  scenes : 
These  new  Proselytes  are  persuaded  to  be  true  orthodox  from  that 
Religion  they  were  of,  and  thus  deluded,  become  great  zealots  for  the 
Reforming  of  their  Fellow  Brethren:     As  therefore  to 

The  Species  Facti 

"There  came  at  the  time  and  place  aforesaid,  some  of  these 
deluded  pretended  Lutherian  Proselytes  aforesaid,  asking  from  us  (the 
authors  of  this  protestation)  the  key  of  the  Lock  (which  we  had  put 
on  at  the  Door  of  our  meeting,  for  to  prevent  the  eating  forth  of  this 
gangrene)  intending  to  enforce  upon  us  their  preacher,  who,  we  are 
told,  hath  been  ordained  by  Count  Zinzendorff  (against  which  Preacher 
we  also  solemnly  protest).  The  key  therefore  being  refused,  they 
concluded  (at  a  venture  as  some  said  that  it  could  stand  them  in  not 
above  Ten  Pounds  if  they  did  wrong,  whereby  every  one  may  perceive 
what  such  people  would  do  if  they  had  the  Power)  to  force  the  door 
open,  which  accordingly  they  did,  introducing  their  preacher  who,  as 
it  were,  was  with  some  difficulty  persuaded  to  it,  but  at  last  consented ; 
which  some  of  our  people  (because  the  chiefest  part  6i  the  members 
were  absent  and  would  undoubtedly  have  prevented  it,  taking  for  an 
assault,  sent  one  from  amongst  them  to  desire  the  preacher  to  leave 
the  Oratory,  because  it  was  their  House,  and  that  he  had  no  business 
there,  etc.  Which  he  refused,  alledging  he  had  something  to  say  to 
them  first ;  whereupon  provoking  discourses  from  both  sides  ensuing, 
some  took  hold  of  the  preacher  and  led  him  out  in  the  street,  during 
which  time  there  happened  some  pushes  with  elbows  and  scolding  from 
both  sides,  but  it  came  not  to  any  blows,  our  people  exhorting  each 
other  not  to  commit  any  hostilities,  but  to  take  recourse  to  our  worthy 
Magistrates  and  their  Protection,  as  becomes  good  Christians." 

This  our  dear  friends  and  neighbors  is  the  true  cause  of  the 
premises,  whereby,  to  our  great  sorrow  and  affliction  the  Lord's  Day 
was  prophaned,  and  our  Honourable  Magistrates  molested  and  im- 
portuned, to  whose  wise  determination  of  the  matter  we  have  appealed 
by  law  with  all  due  submission  and  Reverence ;  praying  God  Almighty 
for  their  preservation  and  his  blessing  of  them  and  all  their  subjects, 
to  the  end  that  we  may  continue  to  lead  a  quiet,  peaceful  and  Christian 
life  under  their  Protection. 

24 


370  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

[The  book  of  Boehm  was  signed :] 
Witpen  Township,   Philadelphia  County, 

August  23,  1742.  Joh.  Phil.  Boehm, 

Pastor  of  the  High  Germ-an,  Evangelical  Reformed 
Congregations  in  Pennsylvania. 


[XXXII.    MR.   BOEHM   TO  THE   CLASSIS  OF  AMSTERDAM, 
NOVEMBER  17,  1742.'=«] 

Very  Reverend  Classis: — 

Your  most  submissive  and  obedient  servant  (with  all  the 
congregations  here)  waits  with  a  cordial  longing  for  a  gra- 
cious and  comforting  answer  to  the  last  submissive  letters  of 
January  25th  and  July  25,  1741.  But,  since  we  have  thus  far 
received  no  answer,  we  herewith  respectfully  repeat  all  our 
former,  submissive  petitions. 

In  the  meantime  I  cannot  forbear  obediently  to  transmit 
the  accompanying  [booklet]  to  the  Very  Reverend  Classis, 
since  I  consider  it  my  duty.  From  it  the  Reverend  Classis  can 
learn  all  that  has  happened  here  thus  far.  I  shall  be  heartily 
glad  if  my  undertaking  is  not  disapproved  of  by  the  Reverend 
Classis.  Under  the  circumstances  I  could  not  act  differently. 
For  there  was  no  time  to  seek  further  counsel,  as  the  wolf  at 
first  carried  on  furiously,  and  him  whom  I  should  have  sought 
near  by,  I  could  not  find.^^°  Hence  I  had  to  take  up  the  [shep- 
herd] staff  in  order  to  defend  myself.  Accordingly  I  acted  in 
this  manner,  as  the  Reverend  Classis  can  see.  If  your  humble 
servant  did  wrong  in  anything,  the  good  Lord  will  surely  for- 
give him,  for  he  knows  that  it  was  done  heartily,  out  of  sincere 
love  for  the  Gospel  of  His  beloved  Son,  and  for  the  sake  of  the 
poor  and  simple  souls,  whom  heretical  spirits  try  to  lead  astray 
from  the  path  of  truth ;  and  likewise  on  account  of  the  Rev- 
erend Classis,  under  whose  supervision  I  have  the  duties  of  a 

"'The  German  original  of  Boehm's  letter  is  in  the  Classical 
archives. 

""  It  is  not  clear  to  whom  Boehm  refers  in  this  sentence.  It 
could  not  be  the  Rev.  P.  H.  Dorsius,  for  he  was  not  on  friendly  terms 
with  him  in  1742.  It  may  have  been  one  of  the  Dutch  Reformed 
ministers  of  New  York. 


LETTER  OF  1742  371 

shepherd  and  watchman.  I  have  felt  thus  far  that  it  was  not 
in  vain,  for  which  I  shall  praise  God  for  ever.  It  is  true  my 
family  had  to  suffer  to  some  extent  on  account  of  it,  for  each 
sheet  cost  forty  shillings  to  set  up  in  type,  which  I  had  to  pay 
without  help.  But,  as  the  Lord  liveth,  I  could  not  have  any 
but  English  letters  (the  German  printer  excused  himself,  he 
was  not  altogether  just).-**'  As  a  result,  where  there  is  one  of 
our  High  Germans,  who  can  read  it,  there  are  perhaps  twenty 
who  cannot  read  it.  Thus  far  I  have  sold  only  a  few  towards 
covering  my  expenses,  and  I  may  have  to  wait  several  years 
until  all  my  expenses  are  paid.  If  I  could  give  it  away,  many 
might  want  it  for  their  instruction,  but  I  am  unable  to  do  this, 
as  my  income  is  still  in  the  old  condition  and  I  heartily  desire  to 
see  a  different  state  of  affairs  here,  which  should  be  regulated 
according  to  the  intention  of  the  Reverend  Fathers.  May  the 
merciful  God,  who  is  also  almighty,  help  His  poor,  true  be- 
lievers in  this  country  and  touch  the  hearts  of  the  richly 
blessed  members  of  the  body  of  Christ. 

These  enthusiasts  and  fanatics  offer  themselves  every- 
where in  this  country  to  preach  and  to  install  schoolmasters, 
and  all  this  entirely  free  of  charge,  in  order  to  draw  to  them- 
selves and  lead  astray  the  poor  and  helpless  people,  who  form 
the  majority  here.  But  the  remonstrances  have  had  this  effect, 
with  God's  blessing,  that  every  evangelical  person  just  for  this 
reason  considers  their  doings  all  the  more  dangerous  and 
understands  them  better,  so  that  they  have  had  as  yet  little 
success. 

Your  humble  servant  and  the  least  of  the  fellow-workers 
of  Christ  petitions,  therefore,  the  Reverend  Classis,  for  a  fa- 
vorable and  kind  answer  and  for  information  what  he  should 
do  in  future,  in  order  that  you  may  encourage  him  with  further 
instructions,  the  necessity  for  which  appears  from  the  accom- 
panying report.  In  the  meantime  I  shall  not  cease  from  defend- 
ing and  watching  as  long  as  God  gives  me  grace  and  life  and  as 
He  shall  lead  me. 

"°  The  German  printer  was  Christopher  Saur.  As  he  did  some 
printing  for  Count  Zinzendorf  in  1742,  e.  g.,  the  Moravian  hymn  book, 
entitled  Hirten-Liedcr,  he  may  have  been  unwilling  at  that  time  to 
print  a  book  against  Zinzendorf,  although  later  he  did  not  hesitate  to 
express,  his  dissent  from  Zinzendorf  and  his  efforts. 


372  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

I  herewith  commend  the  Reverend  Classis,  every  person, 
together  with  all  your  families  and  holy  service  to  God  and  the 
Word  of  His  grace  and  myself  to  your  pious  and  devout 
prayers  before  God  and  to  your  remembrance. 

Your  humble  and  obedient  servant  and  the  least  fellow- 
brother  in  the  Lord, 

JoHANN  Philips  Boehm, 
High  German  Reformed  Minister 
at  Falckner  Schwam,  Schip  Bach  and  Weitmarge 
and  Philadelphia. 
Witpen  Township, 
Philadelphia  County, 
Pennsylvania,  November  17,  1742. 

P.  S.  After  having  finished  this  letter,  I  hear  that  Count 
Zinzendorf  intends  to  leave  here  to  return  to  Holland-"  and 
Germany.  He  leaves  his  false  apostles  here  and  promises  to 
send  more  of  them. 


[XXXIII.     CLASSIS  OF  AMSTERDAM  TO  MR.  BOEHM, 
MAY  9,  1743.'^] 

To.  Mr.  Boehm. 

Reverend  Sir  and  Colleague: — 

We  safely  received  your  last  letter  of  [November  17,  1742]  and 
learned  from  it  how  you  sought  to  advance  the  well-being  of  the  con- 
gregations entrusted  to  your  care,  and  with  this  in  view  have  judged 
that  you  must  make  your  observations  upon  some  actions,  opinions  and 
errors,  held  and  brought  forward  by  the  Count  of  Zinzendorf,  the 
chief  advocate  of  the  Moravians  in  Pennsylvania,  and  to  communicate 
these  in  print  to  your  churches,  to  warn  them  and  to  guide  them  into 
the  right  way.  The  Reverend  Classis  praises  your  zeal  in  this  matter, 
wishing  that  it  may  be  granted  unto  you  to  minister  to  your  congre- 
gations in  the  strength  of  the  Lord,  so  that  the  Lord,  according  to  the 
riches  of  His  glory  may  strengthen  them  by  His  strength  and  by 
His  Spirit,  in  the  inward  man,  so  that  Christ  may  dwell  in  their  hearts 

'"Zinzendorf  left  Philadelphia  December  31,  1742,  old  style,  or 
January  11,  1743  (n.  St.).  He  sailed  from  New  York  January  20,  and 
reached  Dover,  England,  February  28,  1743.  See  Reichel,  Early  History, 
p.  139. 

'*^  A  copy  of  this  letter  is  found  in  the  Classical  Letter  Book, 
Vol.  XXIX,  p.  356. 


LETTER  OF  1743  373 

by  faith,  and  they  may  be  rooted  and  grounded  in  love,  that  they  may 
fully  comprehend  with  all  saints  what  is  the  breadth  and  length  and 
depth  and  height  and  know  the  love  of  Christ  that  passeth  knowledge, 
so  that  they  may  be  filled  with  all  the  fulness  of  God.  Certainly  such 
dispositions  and  labors  embrace  in  themselves  the  most  precious  weal 
and  the  blessedness  of  the  partakers  of  the  Lord's  favor.  May  these 
then  ever  be  found  in  you  and  your  members. 

For  the  rest,  the  Classis  does  not  find  itself  as  yet  thoroughly 
in  a  condition  to  write  a  satisfactory  answer  to  your  former  letters 
of  January  25,  and  July  25,  1741,  concerning  Mr.  Dorsius  and  those 
who  are  his  supporters,  these  come  now  through  other  reports.  This 
is  certain,  he  is  no  Inspector  of  the  Church  in  your  regions.  If  he 
conduct  himself  as  such,  he  goes  beyond  his  appointment.  That  which 
we  request  of  you  in  respect  to  him  and  the  Church  in  your  region  is, 
that  you  shall  be  pleased  to  inform  us  more  precisely  in  the  future, 
how  the  one  or  the  other  is  doing  or  behaving  himself,  and  whether 
the  so-called  Moravians  do  injury  to  your  congregations,  in  what  this 
consists,  and  what  is  done  about  it  in  your  regions.  We  are  inclined 
to  serve  you  as  far  as  lieth  in  us,  with  our  counsel,  as  afifairs  and  cir- 
cumstances may  require.  And  that  this  may  tend  to  the  well-being  of 
you  and  yours  is  our  wish.  The  Lord  strengthen  you  in  all  things  in 
body  and  soul,  and  His  loving  kindness  be  extended  over  you  forever. 
Thus  do  we  write  in  the  name  of  the  Reverend  Classis,  remaining 
Reverend  Sir  and  Colleague 
(Signed  as  before) 
Amsterdam,  May  9,  1743. 


[XXXIV.     SECOND    FAITHFUL   WARNING   OF   MR.   BOEHM, 
MAY  19,  1743.'"] 

SECOND   FAITHFUL    WARNING   AND    ADMONITION 

to  my  very  dear  and  esteemed  Reformed  fellow-believers,  and 
to  all  others  who  love  the  Lord  Jesus  and  to  whom  His  holy 
Gospel  and  His  holy  sacraments  are  most  precious.  My  wish 
for  them  is,  that  they,  without  exception,  by  the  grace  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  love  of  the  heavenly  Father  and  the  powerful  and 
effectual  assistance  of  God,  the  Holy  Spirit,  may  be  kept  from 

"'  For  this  document  use  has  been  made  of  the  copy  which 
Boehm  sent  to  the  Synods,  and  which  is  now  preserved  in  the  archives 
at  The  Hague,  74,  I,  32.  It  contains  several  marginal  notes  made  by 
Boehm  himself. 


374  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

error  and  harm  to  their  immortal  souls.    Amen. 
All   My  Beloved! 

With  you,  my  fellow-believers,  I  wish  to  speak  first  of 
all,  and  may  it  be  for  the  information  of  all  other  dear  Chris- 
tians. 

Everywhere  in  Pennsylvania,  it  is  plainly  evident  that  some 
of  our  Reformed  religion  are  so  careless  in  watching  and  pray- 
ing, as  commanded  by  Christ,  Mark  14:28,  that  the  devil,  who 
goeth  about  like  a  roaring  lion,  seeking  whom  he  may  devour, 
finds  it  easy  to  lead  such  souls  astray,  to  the  eternal  loss  of 
their  souls  and  finally  to  devour  them,  because  they  are  slack 
in  true  Christianity,  but  eager  to  run  after  strange  and  even 
false  doctrines. 

A  year  ago  I  published,  in  accordance  with  my  duty  and 
obligation,  my  faithful  letter  of  warning  against  the 
so-called  Herrnhuters  (who  came  to  this  country  at  the 
close  of  the  year  1741)  and  against  their  doctrine,  pernicious 
to  the  soul  and  destructive  to  the  conscience.  It  con- 
sists of  6J  sheets  of  small  print.  I  also  made  known  that  it 
could  be  bought  from  Casper  Ullrich  and  Michael  Hillegas  in 
Philadelphia,  from  Jacob  Baiimann  in  Germantown,  from  Ga- 
briel Schiller  and  Peter  Spcicker  in  Schipbach,  from  Henry 
Tiiringer  in  Falckner  Schwam,  from  Isaac  Levan  in  Oley  and 
from  George  Unruh  in  Dolpihacken.  The  letter  contained 
throughout  true  information,  as  I  had  received  it  from  Hol- 
land (approved  by  the  great  university  of  Leyden  in  Holland) 
and  from  other  places.  I  am  sure  that  every  one  who  examines 
this  letter  properly  and  considers  it  thoughtfully  will  not  only 
be  able  to  recognize  it  as  truth,  on  account  of  all  the  things 
the  Moravians  have  done  among  us  thus  far,  but  also  guard 
himself  against  their  abominable  doctrine,  for  the  eternal  wel- 
fare of  his  soul.  But  it  seems  that  many  were  not  disposed  to 
pay  the  small  amount  necessary  to  secure  this  letter,  and  rather 
preferred  to  remain  ignorant  in  this  most  important  afifair,  for 
it  concerns  immortal  souls.  Hence  some  who  are  entirely 
ignorant  have  already  allowed  themselves  to  be  led  astray  dis- 
gracefully. Such  inconsiderate  people,  who  so  slightly  regard 
and  without  conscience  break  their  oath,  which  they  swore  to 
Almighty  God  at  their  first  participation  in  the  Lord's  Supper, 
will  find  this  not  onlv  unanswerable  before  God,  but  they  are 


y  li 


(' ) 


Abcnnahiigetreue  Warnungund  Vermahnungnn  nieinefehr 

wcrthc  und  thcuer  gcichitzrc  Rcformirtc  Glaubens-renvandte,  wic  auch  aUe  andcr<! 
die  den  Hcrroi  Jesum  licb  haben,  lein  Hcil.  Evangclium  und  feine  tK:il.  Sacranientcn 
in  htk-hrtcm  wcrth  haltcn.  Dcneu  llinibt  nnd  fonders  wunfchc  ich>  dais  fie,  durch  die 
Gn.ide  JesuChRISTI,  dicLiebciciiics  Hinimliichen  Vatters,  und  dc:i  Kialftia;-wurcken-' 
den  bcvftandt  Gottcs  dcs  HcLl.  Geiftcs  niogcn  Ixwahrt  werdun  vor  allcm  Irrrhum  und 
Schaden  ihrcr  unftetblichen  Secknj     Jnuit. 

AUe  jwnk  GJ'uhtc. 

,fn    cT.iih  iibcr  ttinnrn  Rt  ii^ii'ns  urvand'cn  win  ah  7  j  orJirt  rcjcn,  Ijnd  ilkn  andem  wcbrtm  Oifife 


\ 


ih  iibcr  ttinnrn  Rt  ii^nms  i 
c    lur  lutliritht  Ui  1    n 

ml    n   H     I      I  I  1  jnd    fi  I    '     rj    5  <  ti  n^  off  I  nnr,  djf  imi^e  V  on  unfircr  Rcf  Rcigion  fti 

I        I  1    1.  r      ,  ,         T.\    ^nbi(  Uintn  wi  Icn  und  bdnn  lich  btzcigen    (o  daia 

It  I  I  J  n^ir  Luu  und  (uchci     uti  en  tr  vtrkhlnj^fn  niigr,  iart 

11                               <  n  '          ii\   knutt  nJ      in  d  r  n  Ut'    n^l    u  aotr  tim  tamdcr,  jj  Ul» 

I  4ut  dm  Id  i'  111  it  11  Iim  J,,  211  ihrcr  i>^clcn  twigen  thi- 

1  1       I  n     1  I  1     1  ,                      huluigV  It,  mil  -    ^  f           \    ,rniin(;s  Brief  gcgcn  die  ly. 

i   r    1-4.1  ufdi«  L^ndt  und  d  ren  I  ur  rdtrbln.he 

1    ni    n  l.ikn    wtknr  I  1       s  n  klontn  Driick  Mlehct, 

'        I  I   'wnw  '   Wn  j(    ^   ,  in  f  iilaltlp/jia,  \k  y  J Koh  Btit^ 
f  ^fri  iir  m  S  <     '  1  h,  l!(.y  H»;  (li  Timn^tr  im  fji^hnr- 

l  muL  \u  I)  <j  I  a  ti  I  i  hndrn  Icye      Wuniin  n  alk  vi  dii- 

Mil'  ,  '      ',  ,   ,n;Ai'„,   ^,~,,,,    ,  ,rt 


ulUnik    L   hr 
In   ^>^  ba,  d  I 
■,1m,  ^x^    G-  n. 


tilKn  zu  lilun  \mi 
1  d.r  (^stlitr,  11 


^  ,  .   Dr.chcn,    nirh-   nur  l 

ill  it  QK   d'f  %ahren  Rif  niiin 
Schandc       Darn,  «ann  diifclbe  ( 
IKid  f,aiifl  n  vawultindcn  I    lire  d      Hi  rr 
jft    urtruKii    ■Aurncn,    It^ihn     und    ti 
gOoichm  \   ahrhtic  willtn,  unk'c  j;  lu-^u  I 
(     mit  dim    Kiuk  n   jn^a  I    n;   !o   1  1  mdlu  L  ^ 
fondcinauch  (cliiicn 

DiLk>    M  t  juchiuLnhc   /ii    1  lIi  m    i 
gft   mKhi-«bcrmaH,  n  It  t  il  m  u   I  J     r 
khitUn,  unib  tuch  da^jm  l  I       mir 

mand  n6(;i  mtlchuldimn  lu  nn  J      i      ' 

D.nn    K-h  vtniehmi.  la    ii  h,  \  ic    J  ul  J  i      i 
fich  lu   hefltig  tfwulirn,  uiiib  unltte  Kclornu.n  I'. 
lilies  umcr  die  Herni-hutikhc  b<iK-  2u  bm"'! 
<Jj|i  (k  Gch  vor  Rcfortnirte  Lthrcr  aus  gtlxn 
auj  dir  Schwiin^  »te  er  fich  (clbll  innnci  in 
tTifiUitn  Dt<lnetim  (cms  Slmiu;  worinmn  u   i 
;     4ICI1  obc-n,  dais  tr  untcr  dii-  Hcrrn-lunllchr  dcnii 
!■  -iltauch  von  dinen  PrtjVntrriantii  in  PL-iUrlilfihi.i, 
I     iilcr  mini'  fin  7  Tag>  TumpUr.     Johjmr,  HicLi 
\    hiilK  ihn  (jtiirdinirt,    (wtUhu  aberdwhin  ilir 
'     1741  (;tlrhehen  ill)  und   was  voninrn  brciun  ui 
tKxnmcii,  ill  io  mciacai  vorgcitidtcn  Brief  aul'  dcr 

,  -, •.  .,.,>  ^J.u.f, . ..//<,-/-■)  ^.  ' •"    ''^'/ 


' 

III,,  t,r  ir' 

/.xhu     iakmcf 

1'  11 

mil   dklen  Bri 

1  t  zu  btkomnica 

r  1 

au.,h,t,lK, 

1  Sache  (darin  cs 

1  Ml    c 

1   Ji 

jl    darinntn 

^jiitz  unkilndi^c 

Man 

1  1  I 

I  lun  li    ihui 

tid^ikbcnfie 

111  1' 

L     il 

lA   r  n,  1    j,in 

fg  ithtcn  undlb 

h    III 

Jill, 

h  ilmn  I  ll.ft  1 

ind  in  (.r  frvund 

rnL 

ir  kr 

n       11  Ik  dinh  Imd,     1  it  i^rtlle 

r   1)    1 

iKl 

tir  n  %\\  t'l  ki 

kc  veid(rMi.h  a 

r 

orthin  K  kjn  t 

,  uid  lalt  ukrill 

^1 

tn  R  f  R   n. 

un  fumb  vftichcr 

1 

rn 

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n  Kirz  ir«i  all  < 

Uli  I 

1,1  ht 

nur  daiubcr  lit 

nz  ich  bttru  en. 

-fitn  u 

nd<i 

rtr  unilciUichcn  SceVn    drin- 

"   '" 

,, 

\    m.hminu 

^  It!  cruni      i  /u 
1    dinut  li  hii  - 

'11  .I'll  II  ii' III  .u  II  ,1:  -.  'L;a  HI  I  i.ti  ^M.  n  ii  iitii  tin\-n  (,tnd  dcr 
nil  gilviii  ;  ivtliliiN  Ur.iu--t  .1111  wic  mit  Titer  MifUr,  der 
i/i.r  tiniii  l-.v.ip/i  iikhn  I'l  .;,i,.T  ordinirt  wordcn,  abcr  wai 
r/ 1.  ir  lu.i  II  I',  I  irmii!.  n  I'larrcr,  dan dicliT vligenu-lte  iiVci/ 
Hi  ri, 1-1 11  Mil',  n  \  ul-iii'iiij;  lu  <jtmimtinli~\m  M'unat'/^J? 
id  )ir.iluiikn  I'luil  M  :•<  r  (.incr  ungulilgi-n  Ordination  ange- 
77ll<.n  und  tulycndcii  bcitcn  dcuUich  gcnug  angticigic. 

"■■■■■''"    Ur....,,.    /«<vi    ,/„     .,,^;j J.'.-j..e. 


BOEHM  S   SECOND    WARNING   AGAINST    MORAVIANS,    I743 


LETTER  OF  1743  375 

also  a  disgrace  to  themselves  and  their  relatives,  who  adhere 
firmly  to  the  Reformed  religion  in  other  countries,  wherever 
they  are.  For  when  they  will  learn  that  they  have  so  incon- 
siderately accepted  the  pernicious  and  ruinous  doctrine  of  the 
Herrnhuters  (which  is  known  everywhere  in  Germany  and 
has  been  driven  out  almost  everywhere)  and  have  so  disgrace- 
fully forsaken  their  Reformed  religion,  which  is  founded  on  the 
Word  of  God  ( for  the  sake  of  which  divine  truth  our  brethren 
in  the  faith  in  France  and  in  other  countries,  have  been  per- 
secuted) they  will  not  only  be  heartily  sorry  for  it,  but  also  be 
ashamed. 

This  and  the  love  to  you,  my  dear  brethren  in  the  faith, 
and  to  your  immortal  souls,  again  impels  me  to  send  you  with 
these  few  words  my  faithful  warning  and  admonition,  in  order 
to  inform  you  concerning  that  which  I  perhaps  know  better 
than  you,  so  that  no  one  may  be  able  to  excuse  himself,  neither 
before  God  nor  before  man,  that  he  had  been  led  astray  with- 
out being  warned. 

For  I  daily  hear  how  Jacob  Lischy,  John  Bechtel  and 
Henry  Antes,  together  with  their  helpers  are  so  zealously 
exerting  themselves  in  order  to  put  our  Reformed  religion 
entirely  in  the  shade  here  in  Pennsylvania  and  to  bring  all  under 
the  control  of  the  Herrnhuters,  and  that  by  cunning  tricks  and 
false  appearances  they  pretend  to  be  Reformed  ministers ; 
Jacob  Lischy,  a  Reformed  and  ordained  minister  from  Swit- 
zerland, as  he  calls  himself  in  his  deceitful  declaration 
OF  HIS  OPINION,-**  published  March  i,  1743,  in  which,  how- 
ever, he  also  shows  distinctly,  at  the  bottom  of  the  3rd  page 
and  at  the  top  of  the  4th  page,  that  he  belongs  to  the  Herrnhuter 
congregation.  It  will  turn  out  as  in  the  case  of  Peter  Miller, 
who  was  ordained  by  the  Presbyterians  in  Philadelphia  as  an 
Evangelical  minister,  but  what  is  he  now?  A  Seventh  Day 
Tumpler  [Dunker].  John  Bechtel  (also  pretends  to  be)  a  Re- 
formed minister,  for  the  above  mentioned  Lischy  had  ordained 

'"The  German  title  of  Lischy's  pamphlet  reads:  Jacob  Lischy's 
Reformirten  Predigers  Declaration  seines  Sitincs  an  seine  Reformirte 
Religions — Gcnossen  in  Pemisylvanien  [1743],  8  vo.,  8  pp.  For  a  fac- 
simile of  the  title  page  see  Dr.  Dubbs'  Reformed  Church  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, p.  125. 


376  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

him*  which,  however,  took  place  in  the  meeting  of  the  Herrn- 
huters  in  Germantown,  in  the  month  of  April,  1742.)  What 
a  great  and  bragging  title  he  adopted  at  his  invalid  ordination 
was  shown  clearly  enough  in  my  former  letter,  p.  -jj  and 
following. 

Henry  Antes  likewise  pretends  to  be  a  Reformed  minister, 
but  as  yet  I  do  not  know  who  ordained  him."=  It  was  un- 
doubtedly done  in  the  same  manner  as  in  the  case  of  John 
Bechtel,  or  he  may  boast  of  an  immediate  call,  as  he  really 
seems  to  do,  for  I  am  told  that  he  said  to  the  assembled  people 
at  Oley,  that  he  was  without  sin,  for  the  Savior  had  taken 
possession  of  him,  etc. 

Now,  dearest  friends,  what  should  be  done  with  these 
three,  Lischy,  Bechtel  and  Antes,  and  how  their  intentions  may 
be  learnt,  I  shall  tell  you  faithfully  and  truthfully,  as  far  as 
I  know,  and  I  propose  to  stand  by  it. 

Concerning  Jacoh  Lischy.  This  spring  he  pretended  at 
Dolpihacken,  in  the  presence  of  two  Reformed  elders,  to  be  a 
Reformed  minister  from  Switzerland  and  assured  them  that 
he  had  nothing  to  do  with  Count  Sinsendorf  [Zinzendorf]  and 
the  teachings  of  the  Herrnhuters,  but  that  he  had  come  to  this 
country  last  summer  on  board  of  a  merchant  ship.^^^  Indeed 
he  convinced  them  by  his  smooth  words,  so  that  they  appointed 
a  time  for  a  meeting  in  order  to  accept  him,  if  their  brethren 
would  consent  to  it.  But  when  they  met,  some  of  them  knew 
better  that  he  was  a  regular  Herrnhuter,  and  they  sent  him 
away.  He  had  also  offered,  (because  I  had  been  accepted  by 
them  to  come  to  them  once  every  six  months  in  order  to  ad- 
minister the  Lord's  Supper  and  Baptism)  that  he  would  not 
oppose  me  nor  do  these  acts,  but  leave  them  to  me;  he  only 
desired  to  be  their  preacher  and  preach  for  them.  But,  since 
they  were  told  that  in  one  home  he  had  said,  if  only  he  had 
been  in  the  church  twice  or  three  times,  it  would  all  be  dif- 

*  People  thought  so  because  Bechtel  said  at  one  time  that  a  Re- 
formed minister  had  ordained  him,  for  none  was  known  who  pretended 
to  be  such  except  Lischy.  But  it  was  Nitschmann.  (Ms.  note  of  Mr. 
Boehm.) 

'"Antes  was  never  ordained,  as  far  as  we  know. 

"*  Lischy  came  to  Pennsylvania  with  the  "Snow  Catharine,"  a 
ship  owned  by  the  Moravians,  see  above,  p.  120. 


LETTER  OF  1743  377 

ferent,  they  realized  still  more  his  subtle  deceit. 

I  was  also  informed  by  a  certain  trustworthy  man,  that 
this  Lischy  is  said  to  have  sworn  by  the  throne  of  God,  in  the 
presence  of  certain  people  at  Gaguschi  [Cacusi]  in  Bern  town- 
ship, that  he  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  doctrine  of  the  Herr- 
huters.^*^  As  a  result  he  was  admitted  into  the  Reformed 
church  there,  whereby  much  mischief  has  been  caused  among 
the  members  of  that  congregation.  Again,  Lischy  preached 
in  a  private  house  in  Bern  township  and  said  in  his  sermon : 
People  should  not  worry,  all  men  would  be  saved.  None 
should  be  lost.  Whereupon  George  Heen  [Hain]^*^  there,  at 
the  above  mentioned  church,  called  him  to  account  soon  after- 
wards, demanding  that  he  should  prove  this  from  the  Scrip- 
tures. Only  rogues  and  thieves  talked  in  this  manner.  On 
account  of  this  (the  word  thief)  he  was  cited  [before  a  justice] 
by  a  warrant  of  Conrad  Weiser  and  bound  over  to  the  Court 
at  Lancaster. 

Again,  in  Oley  he  preached  several  times  in  the  barn  of 
Isaac  Levan,  pretending  to  be  a  Reformed  minister  from 
Switzerland  and  denying  that  he  had  anything  to  do  with  the 
doctrine  of  the  Herrnhuters,  but  finally,  after  earnest  question- 

^"  It  ought  to  be  said,  in  justification  of  the  Moravian  authorities, 
that  they  thoroughly  disapproved  of  the  deceitful  conduct  of  Lischy. 
This  appears  from  numerous  documents  in  the  archives  at  Bethlehem, 
Pa. 

"*John  George  Hain  (Hohn)  appears  first  in  Ulster  County, 
N.  Y.  June  6,  1717,  John,  son  of  John  George  and  Veronica  Hohn,  was 
baptized  there  in  the  Old  Dutch  Reformed  Church.  George  Hain  came 
to  Lancaster  (now  Berks)  County  at  any  early  date.  January  21,  1735, 
a  warrant  for  400  acres  of  land,  lying  on  a  branch  of  Schoolkil,  was 
issued  to  George  Haine.  Another  warrant  for  100  acres,  lying  near 
Goshen  Hill,  "adjoining  to  a  tract  whereon  he  is  already  settled,"  was 
issued  to  him  March  21,  1735.  A  warrant  for  20O  acres  on  the  Great 
Spring  Creek  in  Tulpehocon  Township,  "adjoining  to  his  Father, 
George  Haynes,  land,"  was  granted  to  Peter  Haynes  on  May  22,  1735. 
George  Hain  signed  his  will  November  16,  1743.  It  was  probated 
April  8,  1746.  He  mentions  in  it  his  wife,  Veronica,  and  nine  children, 
namely  John  Christian,  John  Peter,  John  George,  John  Adam,  John 
Frederick,  John  Henry,  John  Casper,  Sibilla,  married  to  Jacob  Frey- 
meyer,  and  Elizabeth,  married  to  William  Fisher.  In  the  inventory  the 
tract  of  land  on  which  the  church  stands  (Cacusi  or  Hain's)  is  valued 
at  ten  pounds.     He  gave  this  church  land. 


378  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

ing,  he  confessed  that  he  had  taken  part  in  the  love  feast  with 
Count  Zinzendorf.  Whereupon  these  people  in  Oley  diH  not 
desire  to  hear  Lischy  any  more.  Across  the  Schulkiel,"^  not 
far  from  Keyser's  mill  and  also  at  Moderkrick  [Muddy  Creek] , 
he  likewise  preached  several  times,  and  by  his  dissimulation 
brought  the  ignorant  people  so  far  that  they  were  willing,  as 
is  reported,  to  accept  him  as  their  Reformed  minister,  etc. 
This  is  the  fine  Reformed  minister,  Jacob  Lischy.  For  the 
present  I  shall  not  mention  other  things.    This  is  sufficient. 

Concerning  the  second  John  Bechtel,  it  is  not  necessary 
to  write  much,  for  he  himself  admits  that  he  received  his 
ordination  (as  stated  above)  from  Jacob  Lischy.*  Now  it  is 
well  known  that  every  bird  hatches  his  like.  What  an  arch 
hypocrite  this  John  Bechtel  has  been  for  several  years  is  suffi- 
ciently known  to  many  Germans  in  this  country,  and  what 
will  yet  become  of  him  time  will  show,  nor  dare  it  be  concealed. 
He  has  already  found  fault  with  the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  for 
he  had  promised  to  teach  the  same  faithfully  at  Germantown, 
but  already  the  following  Sunday  he  reserved  the  privilege  not 
to  teach  the  Both  and  114th  question  .  He  claimed  that  they 
were  not  true,  for  the  114th  question  said  one  could  not  keep 
these  commandments  of  God  perfectly.  That  was  not  true,  for 
those  converted  to  God  could  keep  them  perfectly,  for  they  were 
no  longer  sinners.  He  desired  that  they  should  sign  a  letter, 
in  which  he  had  set  still  more  snares,  but  it  was  not  done  at 
that  time. 

Concerning  the  third,  Henry  Antes.  Only  a  few  weeks 
ago,  when  some  one  asked  him:  How  can  you  call  yourself  Re- 
formed? You  go  to  the  Herrnhuters  and  take  part  in  their 
love- feasts.  He  answered :  "Why,  how  strange  you  speak. 
Is  that  a  reason  that  I  should  not  be  Reformed?  I  am  Re- 
formed ;  I  am  also  a  Lutheran ;  I  am  also  a  Mennonite.  A 
Christian  is  everything",  and  so  on.  Now  let  every  one  think 
it  over,  what  kind  of  a  spirit  must  dwell  in  such  a  man,  and 
let  him  judge  for  himself.     Many  other  things  could  be  said 

"'  The  congregation  across  the  Schuylkill  was  Coventry,  now 
Brownback's,  which  extended  a  call  to  Lischy  to  become  its  pastor 
on  April  10,  1743. 

*  A  mistake !  For  the  Moravian  brother.  Bishop  David  Nitsch- 
mann  did  it.     (Ms.  rote  of  Mr.  Boehm.) 


LETTER  OF  1743  379 

of  Antes,  if  one  wanted  to  speak  of  him  at  length. 

Mark  this,  Beloved !  At  first  when  the  Herrnhuters  came 
to  this  country  they  pretended  to  be  Lutherans.  Now  a  number 
of  them  are  Reformed.  If  this  is  true,  it  is  also  evident 
enough  that  such  men  are  possessed  by  a  false  spirit  of  error 
and  that  they  are  false  prophets,  who  everywhere  seek  to  put 
on  sheep's  clothing,  in  order  to  deceive  men  and  thereby  lure 
them  into  their  own  net ;  and  even  if  all  this  were  not  the  case, 
this  one  thing  alone  is  enough,  that  these  three,  Lischy,  Bechtel 
and  Antes,  were  present  on  the  nth,  12th  and  13th  of  May, 
in  Philadelphia,  at  the  beautiful  and  joyful  feast,  which  they 
call  love-feast.  They  participated  in  it  diligently,  so  that  they 
are  genuine  Herrnhuters.  Now,  are  they  true  Reformed 
ministers,  as  they  falsely  assert?    Let  each  judge  for  himself. 

I  for  my  part  consider  them  Moravians,  who  indisputably 
belong  to  these  enthusiasts  and  fanatics.  They  are  like  the 
"strolling  Jews",  who  went  about  and  adjured  them  who  had 
evil  spirits  by  Jesus  whom  Paul  preached,  Acts  19:13-  But 
the  acts  of  these  false  apostles  of  the  Herrnhuters  are  much 
more  daring.  For  one  of  them,  by  the  name  of  Gottlob  Bitt- 
ner^^°  of  Dolpihacken,  adjured  even  the  Lamb  of  God  in  his 

''"Gottlob  Buettner  was  born  in  Silesia,  December  29,  1716.  He 
became  acquainted  with  the  Moravians  at  Marienborn,  Herrnhaag 
and  Herrnhut ;  came  to  America  in  October,  1741 ;  was  for  a  short 
time  spiritual  advisor  of  the  single  brethren  in  Bethlehem ;  preached 
to  Lutherans  at  Tulpehocken  and  neighborhood  and  was  finally  ap- 
pointed to  labor  among  the  Indians  at  Shekomeko,  N.  Y.  In  January, 
1742,  he  visited  this  station  to  invite  and  accompany  Rauch,  the  Indian 
missionary,  to  the  Synod,  which  was  to  be  held  at  Oley,  Pa.  They 
took  with  them  three  Indian  converts,  who  were  baptized  at  Oley, 
February  22,  1742.  At  the  close  of  the  Synod,  Buettner  was  ordained 
by  Nitschman  and  Zinzendorf.  Soon  afterwards  he  was  sent  out  as 
pastor  of  the  Lutheran  congregation  at  Tulpehocken,  but  was  recalled 
in  September,  1742.  On  September  14,  1742,  he  was  married  to 
Margaret,  third  daughter  of  John  Bechtel  of  Germantown.  In  October, 
he  set  out  with  his  wife  to  Shekomeko.  There  Rauch  and  Buettner 
preached  to  the  Indians  in  English  and  Dutch.  Their  work  was  op- 
posed by  unscrupulous  white  men,  who  would  rather  see  the  Indians 
drunk  than  converted.  The  law  was  invoked  against  the  missionaries 
and  they  were  finally  compelled  to  give  up  their  work.  Before 
Buettner  could  leave,  he  fell  sick  of  a  pulmonary  complaint,  and  died 
February  23,  1745.    In  18o9  a  monument  was  erected  to  him  and  Rauch 


380  LETTERS  OF  BOEH.M 

prayer  with  these  words  :  "Thou  Lamb  of  God,  I  adjure  thee  by 
thy  sacred  wounds,  that  thou  unit  reveal  the  souls  that  shall 
be  led  to  thee".  This  is  terrible  to  listen  to,  let  each  judge  for 
himself  (it  is  credibly  attested).  In  addition,  they  are  running 
about  of  their  own  accord  and  do  not  come  through  a  regular 
call,  as  through  the  right  door  into  the  sheepfold  of  Jesus 
Christ,  but  they  climb  up  some  other  way;  and  those  that  do 
this  are  thieves  and  robbers,  says  Christ,  who  speaks  the  truth, 
John  10  :i.  And  v.io  he  says  :  "A  thief  cometh  not,  but  for  to 
steal,  and  to  kill  and  to  destroy". 

Now,  beloved  brethren,  if  some  of  you  have  really  been 
led  astray  by  such  false  liars,  I  think  that  the  reason  for  it 
was,  because  you  did  not  know  any  better,  and  for  this  reason 
you  may  all  the  sooner  be  declared  innocent,  for  you  believed 
their  smooth  words  and  had  intercourse  with  them,  thinking 
that  they  had  told  you  the  truth,  and  that  they  were  Reformed 
ministers.  But  since  all  their  words  are  lies  and  since  they 
seek  only  to  lead  you  astray  to  the  sect  of  the  Herrnhuters"^ 
and  away  from  your  evangelical  doctrines  and  to  destroy  your 
souls,  therefore  the  promise  you  gave  them  is  annulled  by 
itself,  to  your  greatest  praise  before  God  and  all  your  fellow- 
believers. 

Do  not  consider  it  advantageous  that  they  always  offer 
to  preach  free  of  charge  to  you.  This  is  the  unmistakable  sign 
that  they  are  false  prophets,  for  the  Lord  ordained  it  that  they 
who  proclaim  the  Gospel  should  live  by  it.  Read  the  9th  chap- 
ter of  the  first  epistle  of  Paul  to  the  Corinthians  and  consider 
especially  verses  9  and  14.  And  read  Galatians  6:6,7.  Then 
you  will  easily  perceive  their  cunning  deceit,  for  their  offer  is 
against  the  doctrine  and  admonition  of  the  apostle,  and  even 

at  Shekomeko  by  the  Moravian  Historical  Society.  See  Memorial  of 
the  Dedication  of  Monuments  erected  by  the  Moravian  Hist.  Soc,  New 
York,  1860,  pp.  134-143.  A  picture  of  the  monument  is  inserted,  facing 
p.  122. 

"'This  was,  of  course,  not  the  aim  of  Zinzendorf.  That  it  was 
the  ultimate  result  of  the  movement  to  carry  those  who  participated 
in  it  over  to  the  Moravian  Church  was  due  to  the  failure  of  the  move- 
ment. When  all  the  other  denominations  withdrew  and  organized 
their  forces,  there  was  nothing  left  to  the  Moravians  but  to  organize 
along  their  own  lines. 


LETTER  OF  1743  381 

against  the  words  of  Christ  himself,  Matth.  io:io  and  Luke 
10:7,  where  a  workman  is  regarded  by  him  as  worthy  of  his 
meat  and  hire.  And  a  true  servant  of  Christ  in  His  Gospel, 
whose  duty  it  is  to  attend  to  his  service,  has  sufficient  work. 
But  he  needs  food  and  raiment.  This  does  not  come  of  itself, 
for  God  has  not  so  ordered  it,  but  according  to  His  holy  Word 
it  shall  come  from  those  for  whom  they  work.  Gal.  6 : 6.  No 
true  evangelical  Christian  has  refused  to  do  this  thus  far.  But 
it  is  plain  why  these  enthusiasts  and  fanatics  employ  this 
means,  so  pleasing  to  ignorant  people,  namely  in  order  that 
their  cause  may  seem  agreeable  and  sweet  and  people  might  be 
entangled  all  the  better  in  their  net,  and  that  later  on  they  might 
obtain  not  only  a  part  of  their  possessions,  but  all  of  them  for 
their  sect  and  thereby  make  it  rich  and  great.  But  I  think  they 
will  not  meet  many  fools,  but  many  a  cunning  Pennsylvanian 
will  lead  them  around  by  the  nose  for  a  while,  and  finally  when 
it  comes  to  the  test,  everybody  will  know  how  to  take  care  of 
his  property  for  himself  and  his  family,  and  he  will  let  go  such 
sly  foxes,  as  is  right,  etc. 

Just  for  this  reason  Count  Zinzendorf  became  so  indignant 
at  all  who  opposed  him  and  his  false  doctrine  here  in  this 
country.  For  in  Canastoka  he  said  that  he  had  to  hasten  to 
Philadelphia,  for  the  court  was  in  session  and  as  sure  as  his 
name  zvas  Count  Zinzendorf,  four  men  would  have  to  hang. 
But  a  considerable  time  has  passed  since,  and  as  yet  nobody  has 
been  hung  on  his  account. 

Again,  when  the  Count  preached  in  Dolpihacken  for  the 
last  time,  he  said  in  his  sermon :  Thunder  and  lightning  zvill 
strike  all  ministers  who  hinder  soids  from  following  the  Lamb. 
(This  is  credibly  attested.)  Behold,  Beloved,  can  you  conceive 
that  such  a  man  is  a  minister  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ? 
Moreover,  we  can  see  from  all  the  testimonies  of  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures that  he  does  not  seek  to  lead  the  souls  to  the  Lamb  of  God, 
Jesus  Christ,  but  away  from  him  into  eternal  perdition.  These 
expressions  are  of  such  a  nature  that  one  would  almost  commit 
a  sin  by  saying  of  such  a  daring  man  that  he  was  a  Christian. 
In  addition,  consider  his  two  letters  (which  have  appeared  in 
print)  one  from  London  to  Mr.  Neumann  in  Germany,  the 
other  from  Philadelphia  to  the  Cooper  Vende  and  his  wife  in 


382  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

Germantown.-"  These  two  letters  are  known,  hence  it  is  un- 
necessary to  say  much  about  them.  But  the  hairs  of  a  Chris- 
tian will  stand  on  end  when  he  thinks  of  their  astounding 
contents. 

Behold,  dear  fellow-believers,  this  Count  Zinzendorf  is  the 
head  and  founder  of  the  sect  of  the  Herrnhuters,  who  has 
gathered  together  the  wavering  from  all  kinds  of  people.  Those 
whom  he  finds  suitable  for  his  purpose  he  turns  into  all  kinds 
of  ministers.  Thus  he  regarded  Lischy,  Bechtel  and  Antes 
adapted  for  the  purpose  of  leading  the  Reformed  people  astray 
to  his  sect  of  Herrnhuters.  They  are  now  seeking  to  carry 
on  the  work  of  enlisting  people  in  all  earnestness  and  with  the 
worst  deception,  as  the  things  mentioned  about  them  above 
clearly  show. 

Now,  whom  do  you  think  you  are  following  if  you  attach 
yourselves  to  these  three,  or  to  one  of  them,  or  to  any  of  their 
kind,  and  allow  yourselves  to  be  led  astray?  Do  you  think 
that  then  you  are  a  member  of  the  Reformed  church,  and  that 
you  will  be  able  to  answer  for  it  before  Him,  who  shall  judge 
all?  I  do  not  think  so.  But  you  will  be  regarded  by  your- 
selves as  well  as  by  all  true  evangelical  Christians  as  Herrn- 
huters ,whatever  they  may  be,  who  have  been  declared  in  public 
print  before  all  the  world  and  with  public  approbation  in 
Holland,  to  be  enthusiasts  and  fanatics.  Therefore  I  hope  that 
you  will  be  mindful  of  your  vow,  which  you  have  sworn  before 
God,  and  withdraw  entirely  from  these  false  heretics  to  your 
souls'  salvation  and  eternal  welfare.  If  perhaps  time  hangs 
heavy  upon  you,  because  as  yet  we  are  not  supplied  with  a 
sufficient  number  of  Reformed  ministers,  still  do  not  think  that 
our  God  has  forgotten  us  and  that  He  will  not  hear  us  at  last. 
But  know  that  God  does  everything  in  His  time  and  not  as  we 
desire  it.  This  is  in  order  to  try  His  people.  Let  us  look  up 
in  Christian  patience  to  the  Lord  and  to  His  fatherly  care. 
Let  us  edify  and  admonish  each  other  from  the  Word  of  God, 
according  to  our  ability,  in  all  order  and  piety,  then  will  God  at 
last  come  and  provide   for  us   with  necessary  and   sufficient 

"'The  letter  of  Zinzendorf  to  Frederick  Vende,  cooper  of  Ger- 
mantown,  is  printed  in  Fresenius,  Nachrkhtcn,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  722-725. 
The  letter  to  Mr.  Neumann  is  also  reprinted  there,  p.  729f. 


LETTER  OF  1743  383 

means.  Let  us  not  act  as  the  children  of  Israel  in  the  wilder- 
ness, who,  when  Moses  stayed  away  a  long  time,  did  not  want 
to  wait,  but  desired  to  have  gods  and  made  a  golden  calf.  Be- 
loved, read  in  Exodus  the  32nd  chapter  and  consider  especially 
the  last  three  verses,  how  this  people  fared  on  account  of  their 
sin. 

Therefore,  let  my  prayer  find  a  hearing  among  you  and 
do  not  act  in  this  way,  but  be  patient  and  wait  for  the  help  of 
the  Lord,  for  that  is  a  precious  thing.  Do  not  think  that  it  is 
my  fault  that  you  have  to  wait  so  long  for  ministers,  as  I  have 
been  accused  by  some  evil  but  foolish  people  here  and  there. 
But  those  who  know,  and  there  is  a  large  number  of  them,  how 
I  have  asked  for  more  than  15  years  for  ministers,  will  be 
better  able  to  speak  of  this.  Likewise  do  not  speak  against 
our  devout  Church  Fathers,  as  if  it  were  in  their  power.  They 
cannot  force  the  matter,  however  much  they  desire  it,  but 
must  leave  this  important  work,  which  everybody  does  not 
understand,  to  the  providence  of  God.  Therefore,  beware  of 
this,  for  they  are  servants  of  God  and  he  who  touches  them 
touches  the  apple  of  his  eye.  How  much  they  desired  to  help 
us,  I  know  better  than  many  of  you. 

Now,  Beloved,  I  shall  not  be  surprised,  if  I  must  again 
endure  mockery  on  account  of  this  faithful  letter  of  warning. 
But  I  do  not  expect  it  in  the  least  of  any  true  evangelical 
Christian,  and  for  others  I  do  not  care.  If  the  Herrnhuters 
have  anything  against  it,  they  are  at  liberty,  and  no  one  can 
prevent  them,  from  defending  themselves,  with  their  pen, 
before  the  whole  world.  I  shall  always  welcome  them,  for  I 
do  not  intend  to  enter  into  oral  disputes  with  them  or  their 
friends.  And  if  they  desire  to  bring  it  before  higher  courts  of 
judgment,  I  am  willing  to  be  judged  where  I  am  wrong.  But 
one  thing  I  do  wish,  that  if  perchance  they  in  concert  should 
again  manufacture  something,  they  should  omit  the  unseemly, 
boasting  and  black  lies  and  not  insult  so  impertinently  a  poor, 
simple  soul  (as  they  have  done  George  Neiser,^''^  schoolmaster 

''■'George  Neisser  was  born  April  11,  1715,  at  Sehlen,  Moravia. 
He  went  to  Georgia  with  the  first  Moravian  colony  in  1735 ;  came  to 
Pennsylvania  in  1737,  and  was  one  of  the  original  occupants  of  the 
first  house  in  Bethlehem.  He  was  also  the  first  schoolmaster  and 
postmaster  of  the  town.  In  1748  he  was  ordained  and  served  in  vari- 
ous congregations,  lastly  in  Philadelphia,  where  he  died  in  1784.    When 


384  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

in  Bethlehem)  and  publish  it  under  his  name.  That  is  not  nice. 
My  humble  advice  to  them  is,  that  in  future  they  save  their 
useless,  bragging  and  ugly  lies.  At  some  time  they  may  come 
to  another  place,  where  people  do  not  know  so  much  of  the 
Herrnhuters  as  in  Pennsylvania,  then  they  may  be  able  to  dis- 
pose of  them. 

Dear  friends  and  fellow-believers,  as  also  all  men  who 
love  God  and  the  sincere  truth  of  His  holy  Word,  herewith 
you  have  received  that  which  I  was  unable  to  withhold  from 
you,  on  account  of  a  fervent  love  for  you  and  your  immortal 
souls.  It  is  a  statement  of  those  things  which  I  thought  most 
necessary  to  make  known  to  you,  so  that  you  may  be  on  your 
guard.  Let  every  one  ponder  it  in  his  own  heart  and  beware 
of  eternal  perdition,  which  is  threatening.  Pray  to  God  that  He 
may  lead  you  by  His  Holy  Spirit  in  the  right  way,  according  to 
His  Word,  that  you  may  be  a  healthy  member  of  the  true 
Church,  the  body  of  Jesus  Christ,  that  hereafter  you,  with  your 
Head  [Christ],  may  enter  into  eternal  joy  and  the  glory  of  the 
heavenly  Father. 

In  the  meantime  I  offer  myself  to  serve,  according  to  my 
limited  ability,  all  who  may  desire  it,  as  long  as  God  will 
grant  me  grace,  my  physical  strength  will  permit,  and  as  often 
as  time  may  allow.  I  heartily  wish  that  the  almighty  and 
merciful  God,  by  His  Holy  Spirit,  may  convert  all  that  can  be 
converted  and  strengthen  His  believers  in  their  weakness,  so 
that  at  last  they  may  receive  the  crown,  which  is  prepared  for 
them  who  in  true  faith  remain  steadfast  unto  the  end. 

This  is  the  wish  of  him  who  signs  himself  with  hearty 
greetings  to  you  all, 

Your  well-meaning  and  devoted, 

JoHAN  Ph.  Boehm, 
High  German  Reformed  Minister  in  Pennsylvania. 
Witpen  Township, 

Philadelphia  County, 

May  19,  1743- 

Count  Zinzendorf  published  a  reply  to  Boehm's  book,  it  was  George 
Neisser  who  edited  the  book  for  him.  This  is  distinctly  stated  on 
the  title  page :  Heratisgcgcben  von  Gcorg  Neisser.  There  is  no  claim 
of  authorship  by  Neisser,  as  the  readers  of  the  book  inferred  wrongly. 
A  reprint  of  the  tract  appeared  in  Germany ^by  John  Philip  Fresenius 
in  his  Bcivdhrte  Nachrichten,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  677-715. 


LETTER  OF   1744  385 

[XXXV.    TULPEHOCKEN  CONGREGATION  TO  MR.  BOEHM, 
MARCH  27,  1744.'"] 

[Address:]     This  letter  is  to  be   delivered  to  the  Rev.   Mr.   Boehm, 

Evangelical   Reformed   Minister  at   Schibach. 

ToLBENHACKEN,  March  27,  1744. 

First  of  all,  a  friendly  greeting  from  us,  the  elders  of  the  two 
churches  of  the  Reformed  congregation  of  Tolbenhacken  [Tulpe- 
hocken]  to  the  Very  Reverend  and  Learned  Sir,  the  Rev.  John  Philip 
Boehm. 

Your  message  sent  to  us  has  been  transmitted  orally  by  Peter 
Ruth.  From  it  we  learned  that  our  letter,  written  to  Holland  several 
years  ago,  was  not  sent  off  by  you.  We  have  also  heard  that  you 
intend  writing  again  to  Holland.  Hence  we  ask  you  to  excuse  us  from 
writing  this  time  for  the  following  reason :  because,  as  you  know, 
we  wrote  a  year  ago  to  Germany  for  a  minister.  Last  fall  we  received 
an  answer,  promising  for  certain  to  send  us  a  minister.  We  received 
two  letters  from  Germany,  from  which  we  learned  that  the  Upper 
Consistory  of  Zweibruecken"'  made  known  our  desire  to  the  Consistory 
at  Heidelberg,  also  in  Switzerland,  in  Hesse  and  in  Holland.  Last  fall 
we  wrote  again  and  now  have  to  wait  until  next  fall  for  an  answer. 
We  hope  it  will  not  displease  you  that  we  have  done  this,  for,  in  the 
first  place,  we  have  not  left  nor  offended  you,  but  rather  treated  you 
with  respect  even  in  Germany.  Besides,  we  have  never  received  a 
report  or  letter  from  Holland  through  you,  that  we  should  get  a 
minister.  Moreover,  we  had  to  do  it  for  conscience  sake,  seeing  that 
for  lack  of  a  faithful  pastor  many  a  poor  soul  has  been  led  into  error 
and  is  still  daily  being  led  astray.  If  you  could  have  come  more  fre- 
quently, we  believe  that  many  things  would  not  have  happened.  We, 
therefore  ask  your  Reverence  to  be  pleased  to  come  to  us  as  soon  as 
possible  and  celebrate  the  Lord's  Supper.  W*  still  place  our  confi- 
dence in  you  and  shall  stay  with  you  until  we  have  a  minister.  We 
again  ask  that  you  will  send  us  a  letter  as  soon  as  possible,  to  let  us 
know  when  you  will  come,  so  that  we  can  announce  it  to  the  con- 
gregation. 

'"  The  original  German  letter  is  in  the  archives  at  The  Hague, 
74,  I,  39. 

'"  On  March  10,  1744,  Rev.  Caspar  Schnorr  appeared  before  the 
Synodical  Deputies  and  reported  that  he  had  been  called  by  the  Con- 
sistory of  Zweibruecken  to  be  pastor  at  Tulpehocken.  But,  as  he  had 
no  proper  testimonials,  the  Deputies  refused  to  aid  him  in  his  journey 
to  Pennsylvania.  He  appeared  before  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam, 
April  13,  1744,  but  met  the  same  refusal  there.  Schnorr  arrived  in 
Pennsylvania  in  November,  1744.  On  March  15,  1745,  he  wrote  to  the 
Classis  that  he  was  serving  Lancaster,  but  was  also  preaching  at 
Tulpehocken  once  a  month. 

25 


386  LETTERS  OF  BOEHAI 

Commending  ourselves  and  you  to  the  protection  of  the  Great 
God, 

We  remain  our  highly  honored   pastor's,   Rev.   Philip   Boehm's 
faithful  parishioners  and  brethren. 

George  Unruh, 
Jacob  Schob, 
.     WiLHELM   Albert, 
Elders.      <     Valentin    Herchelroth, 
Adam  Stumpf, 
Adam  Diffenbach, 
This  letter  came  into  my  hands  on  April  21,  1744.    It  is  enclosed 
in  order  that  the  Reverend  Messrs.  Deputies  may  see  how  eager  these 
congregations   are,    and   also    why   nothing   was    subscribed   by   them. 
When  I  was  with  them,  according  to  their  request,  at  the  end  of  the 
month  of  April,  I  realized  that  in  their  desire  for  a  minister  they  had 
promised  more  than  they  were  able  to  keep,  which  is  of  course  laud- 
able, but  afterwards  is  sad,  when  the  means  are  wanting. 

BOEHM. 


[XXXVI.    MR.   BOEHM   AND   HIS   CONSISTORIES   TO   THE 
SYNODS  OF  HOLLAND,  MARCH  18,  1744."°] 

Very  Reverend  Sirs  of  the  Two  Christian  Synods  of  South  and 
North  Holland,  Devout  Church  Fathers: — 
We,  your  humble  and  obedient  brethren  in  our  most  holy 
faith  and  fellow-members  of  the  body  of  Jesus  Christ,  can 
hardly  furnish  this  submissive  (desired)  report  without  heart- 
felt tears,  for 

The  enclosure,  marked  A  (as  it  is,  open)  was  transmitted 
by  his  Reverence,  Mr.  Dorsius,  minister  at  Schamine  [Nesha- 
miny],  in  Bucks  County,  who  arrived  here  in  Philadelphia, 
once  more  from  Holland,  on  January  17,  1744,  and  was  brought 
here  [Philadelphia]  by  an  elder,  named  Nicolas  Ewig,  on  the 
2 1  St  of  the  same  month  (after  its  contents  were  known  to 
almost  everybody  in  the  city)  to  the  house  of  Casper  Ulrich"^ 

"'  The  German  original  in  the  archives  at  The  Hague,  74,  I,  30. 

*"  Caspar  Ulrich  first  appears  in  the  Philadelphia  congregation 
in  April,  1734  (see  p.  234).  In  the  same  year  he  was  naturalized  (see 
Pa.  Archives,  2nd  Series,  Vol.  VII,  p.  116).  He  signed  his  will  November 
22,  1751.  It  was  probated  December  10,  1751.  He  left  his  property  to 
his  wife  Eva,  to  a  son  Philip,  and  to  a  daughter,  who  was  the  widow 
of  Thomas  Rutter.  See  Register  of  Wills  Office,  Philadelphia,  Will 
Book,  I,  p.  451. 


LETTER  OF  1744  387 

(where  our  minister,  Mr.  Boehm,  has  lodged  hitherto),  with  the 
direction  to  hand  it  to  him  on  his  arrival  and  that  he  should 
read  it  from  the  pulpit  to  the  congregation  the  next  morning, 
(upon  which  the  common  people  almost  passionately  insisted). 
This,  however,  he  did  not  do,  since,  in  the  first  place,  it  did  not 
appear  therein  that  the  Christian  Synods  had  so  ordered  it,  and 
it  was,  moreover,  evident  that  it  would  only  give  occasion  to 
some  quarrelsome  spirits  for  a  new  disturbance,  but  he  quieted 
the  congregation,  and  thereupon,  in  keeping  with  churchly 
custom,  he  consulted  only  with  the  elders  of  that  and  other  con- 
gregations. 

From  this  letter  we  learn  that  it  had  pleased  the  two  Chris- 
tian Synods  of  South  and  North  Holland  to  receive  some  in- 
formation from  the  mouth  of  Do.  Dorsius,  minister  in  Bucks 
County,  regarding  the  condition  of  the  churches  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, for  which  the  two  Christian  Synods  had  waited  hitherto 
in  vain !  This  grieves  us  sincerely.  But  we  hope  that  the 
Christian  Synods  will  perceive  sufficiently  from  the  enclosures, 
marked  B  and  C,  who  is  really  to  blame  for  this,  for  those  two 
submissive  reports  were  at  that  time,  at  the  request  of  his 
Reverence,  Mr.  Dorsius  (who  subscribed  himself  as  one  fully 
authorized  by  the  two  Christian  Synods  of  South  and  North 
Holland  and  Inspector^^^  of  the  Pennsylvania  German  Re- 
formed churches,  as  the  copy,  which  is  added  to  the  enclosure, 
marked  B  indicates)  made  ready  with  the  utmost  possible  care 
and  the  greatest  exertion  of  our  minister,  who  in  the  midst 
of  a  severe  winter  traveled  hither  and  thither  throughout  the 

"*When  Dorsius  came  to  America  in  1737,  it  was  through  a 
private  arrangement  between  himself  and  Rev.  John  Wilhelmius  of 
Rotterdam,  who  acted  as  agent  of  the  Neshaminy  congregation  in 
Bucks  County.  Before  leaving  Holland  for  Pennsylvania,  Dorsius 
appeared  before  the  Deputies  of  the  Synods,  June  11-14,  1737.  They 
asked  him  to  secure  for  them  some  information  about  the  German 
churches  in  Pennsylvania,  which  Dorsius  promised  to  do.  There  was, 
therefore,  no  official  relation  betw'een  Dorsius  and  the  authorities  in 
Holland.  He  had  not  been  appointed  to  any  office  and  he  had  no 
right  whatever  to  claim  the  position  of  "inspector,"  as  he  did  in  his 
letter  to  Boehm  (see  p.  271).  That  Dorsius  had  been  appointed  in- 
spector was  definitely  denied  by  the  Classis  in  its  letter  to  Boehm  of 
May  9.  1743.     See  p.  373. 


388  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

whole  land^^^  (without  asking  or  receiving  any  compensation 
for  it).  Then,  without  any  loss  of  time,  they  were  taken  by 
him  in  person,  namely  the  enclosure,  marked  B,  on  February  26, 
1739  and  the  enclosure,  marked  C,  on  March  18,  1740,  to  the 
home  of  his  Reverence  at  Schamine  [Neshaminy],  a  distance 
of  about  12  miles,  and  placed  into  his  [Dorsius']  hands.  Every- 
thing contained  therein  was  considered  as  carefully  as  possible, 
according  to  our  duty,  in  part  by  our  predecessors,  in  part  by  us, 
the  elders  now  in  service.  Nor  do  we  know  how  we  could 
have  considered  it  any  better  or  discharged  the  duties  resting 
upon  us  in  the  congregations  of  Christ  more  conscientiously 
than  we  did.  We,  therefore,  send  exact  copies,  which  were 
found  to  agree  verbatim  with  the  genuine  originals  (which  our 
minister  caused  us  to  sign  in  duplicate  copies  and  of  which  he 
kept  one  for  his  own  security.)  These  we  send,  most  obediently 
and  dutifully  attested,  to  the  two  Christian  Synods. 

However,  we  must  indicate  submissively  how  the  majority 
of  our  congregations  increase  perceptibly,  under  the  blessing 
of  God.  Thus  the  dutiful  statistics,  drawn  up  by  our  pastor, 
Mr.  Boehm,  and  enclosed  under  letter  D,  will  furnish  a  visible 
proof  to  the  Christian  Synods  that  the  report,  that  our  con- 
gregations instead  of  increasing  are  decreasing  was  not  given 
in  good  faith.  This  is  also  true  of  the  statement  that  every 
congregation  was  standing  by  itself  and  that  there  was  no 
harmony  and  union  between  them.  This  is  refuted  by  the  copy 
of  our  Church  Order  [constitution],  enclosed  under  letter  E. 
This  Church  Order  has  been  observed  since  the  organization 
of  our  congregations,  according  to  its  contents  and  in  all  its 
articles,  as  much  as  possible  and  we  have  Hved  according  to  it. 
Moreover,  since  all  our  elders  before  their  ordination  have 
hitherto  subscribed  to  the  same,  we  intend  to  continue  it,  in 
the  fear  of  the  Lord,  without  any  change  made  by  us,  especially 
as  it  was  drawn  up  with  reference  to  the  conditions  of  our 
widely  extended  country. 

However,  if  the  Christian  Synods,  for  the  welfare  of  our 
congregations  and  the  improvement  of  order,  deem  it  advisable 

"'In  view  of  the  great  difficulties  under  which  the  report  of 
Boehm  had  been  prepared,  and  the  detailed  and  accurate  inforniation 
which  it  contained,  it  ought  to  have  received  more  careful  attention 
in  Holland. 


LETTER  OF   1744  389 

to  add  anything  thereto,  we  will  heartily  be  willing  and  ready 
to  render  obedience. 

Because  of  this  Church  Order,  a  true  Christian  and 
brotherly  unity  prevails  in  the  congregations,  mentioned  in  the 
statistics  under  letter  D.  Nevertheless,  it  has  grieved  us  much 
and  has  caused  us  no  small  injury  that  there  are  still  some,  who 
have  not  acknowledged  nor  accepted  this  Church  Order,  who  do 
not  attend  any  of  the  churches  mentioned  in  the  statistics,  nor 
are  willing  to  recognize  any  order  or  any  one  as  head  over 
them.  Of  this  condition  unpardonable  mischief-making  has 
hitherto  been  the  cause. 

Although  our  congregations  are  now  increasing,  they  con- 
sist almost  entirely  of  poor  people,  who  arrive  ever  year  from 
all  sorts  of  countries  and  of  whom  many  are  seen  going  about 
the  country  begging  for  their  passage  money.  Yet  they  are 
precious  souls  and  our  fellow-members  (according  to  their 
certificates,  without  which  few  of  them  come  to  us)  of  the 
body  of  Christ.  And  we  are  both  willing  and  in  duty  bound 
to  receive  them  kindly  and  lovingly  into  our  congregations, 
although  they  can  contribute  nothing  towards  the  maintenance 
of  necessary  things.  Yet  we  confidently  trust,  that  the  Chris- 
tian Synods,  as  devout  Church  Fathers  and  faithful  nursing 
mothers  of  our  true  Church  in  almost  all  places  of  the  world, 
will  not  look  upon  the  number  of  people,  but  upon  our  (at 
present)  still  deficient  ability,  and  have  pity  upon  us. 

Now  our  souls,  sad  before  because  we  seemed  to  be  entirely 
abandoned,  have  been  gladdened,  inasmuch  as  we  have  seen 
in  your  gracious  letter  that  the  Messrs.  Deputies  take  much 
interest  in  the  welfare  of  our  churches  and  are  willing  to  con- 
tribute as  much  as  possible.  This,  we  believe,  would  already 
have  taken  place,  if  a  true  and  clear  report  and  information 
had  not  been  lacking.  May  God  forgive  him  who  has  kept  it 
back.  For,  since  the  founding  of  our  churches  here,  there  have 
been  many  people,  who  though  they  were  of  Reformed  ante- 
cedents, kept  aloof,  because  there  were  no  Reformed  church 
services  here,  and  they  joined  no  religion  or  sect,  because  they 
were  of  the  opinion  that  our  cause  could  not  be  maintained  in 
this  country,  principally  because  of  our  inability  to  support 
ministers.  They  are  now,  within  the  last  few  years,  scattered 
here  and  there,  mostly  among  Mennonites  (who  may  be  in  the 


390  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

majority),  Tumplers  [Dunkers],  7th  Day  as  well  as  8th  Day 
Tumplers^^'^  and  such  like.  Especially  Count  Zinzendorf  (who 
arrived  here  at  the  end  of  December,  1741)  and  his  brood  of 
false  apostles,  brought  along  or  made  many  converts  here, 
some  under  the  name  of  one  religion,  others  under  the  name 
of  another  (of  which  the  enclosure,  marked  F,  namely  the 
second  printed  "Faithful  Letter  of  Warning",  will  give  some 
information  to  the  Christian  Synods.)  In  this  they  succeeded 
because  they  came  in  sheep's  clothing  and  with  smooth  hypo- 
critical words  offered  their  services  to  all  people  and  for  noth- 
ing. All  this  would  surely  have  gone  differently,  if  some  assist- 
ance and  help  (especially  in  the  sending  of  faithful  ministers) 
had  come  from  our  richly  blessed  fellow-brethren. 

As  regards  our  established  congregations,  we  thank  the 
merciful  God  that  He  has  so  far  preserved  our  fellow-mem- 
bers, that  we  can  say  of  but  few  that  they  perjured  them- 
selves. We  would  also  constantly  and  fervently  pray  to  the 
Lord  Jesus,  as  our  true  archbishop,  that  He  will  let  His  all-see- 
ing eyes  graciously  keep  watch  over  our  congregations,  as  His 
little  flock,  entrusted  to  us. 

Further,  with  regard  to  the  request  made  by  the  Messrs. 
Deputies  to  Do.  Dorsius,  that  his  Reverence,  together  with  his 
fellow-laborers  and  officers  of  the  congregations  here,  would 
draw  up  an  accurate  account  and  short  report,  covering  the 
entire  condition  of  these  congregations,  and  cause  it  to  be 
signed  by  ministers  and  consistories,  in  order  to  send  it  over, 
with  regard  to  this  request  we  declare  herewith,  that  regarding 
ministers,  we  know  at  present  of  none  in  the  whole  province 
of  Pennsylvania,  who  is  a  regularly  ordained  Reformed  minister 
among  our  High  German  churches,  except  Mr.  John  Philip 
Boehm,  who  with  us  and  we  with  him  send  up  many  a  sigh 
to  God  that  He  will  graciously  have  mercy  upon  the  poor 
sheep  in  this  wilderness,  scattered  among  so  many  sects,  and 

^"By  "Eighth  Day  Dunkers,"  Mr.  Boehm  means  probably  the 
original  Dunkers  or  German  Baptists,  whose  first  colony  came  to  Penn- 
sylvania under  the  leadership  of  Peter  Becker,  in  1719.  In  1723,  their 
first  congregation  was  organized  in  Germantown.  The  "Seventh  Day 
Dunkers,"  under  Conrad  Beissel,  separated  from  the  original  organi- 
zation in  1728.  In  1735  the  Ephrata  settlement  was  started  by  the 
adherents  of  Beissel,  commonly  called  "Siebentager,"  or  Sabbatarians. 


LETTER  OF   1744  391 

will  send  faithful  laborers  into  His  vineyard. 

Together  with  our  beloved  and  first  minister  in  this  country 
faithfully  perservering  in  his  service,  we  do  jointly  comply 
with  what  the  Reverend  Synods  have  requested,  for  the  honor 
of  God  and  the  growth  of  our  true  Church  here,  in  churchly 
obedience,  with  all  sincerity  of  heart  and  according  to  our 
duty.  But  the  fact  that  we  do  not  entrust  it  to  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Dorsius,  we  hope  the  Christian  Synods  will  forgive  us,  in  view 
of  the  substantial  reasons  adduced  by  us,  and  because  we  do 
it  for  the  best  interests  of  our  churches,  and  [we  ask]  that 
they  [the  Synods]  will  not  unfavorably  regard  what  we  take 
the  liberty  to  send  of  our  own  accord,  in  submissive  obedience, 
concerning  our  church  affairs,  to  the  Christian  Synods. 

Finally,  as  regards  the  union  with  the  Scotch  Presbyterian 
Synod,*^^  we  trust  that  the  Reverend  Christian  Synods  will 
not  take  it  ill  of  us,  that  we  humbly  request  to  be  permitted  to 
abide  by  our  Church  Order,  established  from  the  beginning  in 
our  churches,  incorporated  in  our  church  records  and  sub- 
scribed by  all  who  have  thus  far  been  members  of  our  con- 
sistories, as  was  mentioned  above.  And,  whether  the  Chris- 
tian Synods  be  pleased  to  add  nothing  or  something  for  its 
improvement,  which,  as  stated  above,  we  shall  recognize  and 
accept  with  gratitude  and  obedient  hearts,  we  ask  the  Christian 
Synods  submissively  to  be  pleased  to  confirm  it  furthermore 
for  its  better  enforcement,  since  we  hope  confidently  that  (in 
that  case)  the  congregations,  still  outside  of  its  influence  and 
in  disorder  and  confusion,  would  at  once  unite  with  us,  which 
would  contribute  to  the  long  desired  strengthening  of  our 
ecclesiastical  communion. 

The  reasons  which  we  have,  to  be  kindly  allowed  to  remain 
for  ourselves,  are:  Almost  none  of  our  people,  or  at  least  very 
few  of  them  understand  the  English  language.  Next,  the 
Heidelberg  Catechism,  upon  which  our  Church  Order  is  based 
in  articles  ii  and  i6,  is  the  rule  of  our  doctrine  and  in  accord- 
ance with  it  all  the  German  Reformed  people  have  thus  far  been 

^"^On  the  attempted  union  between  the  German  churches  of 
Pennsylvania  and  the  Presbyterian  Synod  of  Philadelphia,  see  the 
documents  published  by  the  Rev.  Prof.  J.  I.  Good,  D.  D.,  in  the 
Journal  of  the  Presb.  Hist.  Soc,  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  122-137. 


392  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

confirmed  in  their  [European]  homes  as  well  as  in  this  country. 
Furthermore,  we  are  pledged  in  article  6  of  our  Church  Order 
to  treat  all  new  communicants,  coming  from  the  outside,  ac- 
cording to  the  Church  Order  of  the  Synod  of  Dort  of  the  years 
1618  and  1619;  and,  according  to  article  16,  we  are  bound  to 
hold  to  all  the  Formulas  of  Unity  and  to  the  Synod  of  Dort. 
We  know  of  no  formulas  [liturgies]  which  are  used  by  the 
Presbyterians  here,^"^  either  at  Baptism  or  at  the  Holy  Supper 
or  at  the  consecration  of  marriages  or  at  other  occasions,  and 
therefore  such  a  change  would  be  regarded  by  most  people  as 
a  defection  from  our  true  religion,  which  would  be  very  harm- 
ful to  the  growth  of  our  congregations. 

This  then,  Very  Reverend  Christian  Synods,  is  what  we, 
your  obedient  and  humble  children  in  the  Lord,  have  to  report 
submissively.  We  have  now  lived  for  a  long  time  in  a  very 
poor  and  distressed  condition  and  still  recall  the  reckless  and 
ungodly  fraud^^^  of  Do.  George  Michael  Weiss,  who  was 
formerly  here,  and  of  Jacob  Reiff,  still  living  among  us,  regard- 
ing the  money  collected  in  Holland  for  the  churches  here.  Of 
this  money,  with  which  nearly  all  the  congregations  could  have 
been  assisted  somewhat,  thus  far  not  a  penny  has  been  de- 
livered, which  the  righteous  God,  we  believe,  will  not  leave 
unpunished.  Meanwhile,  the  innocent  sheep  in  all  the  congre- 
gations have  had  to  suffer  from  it.  Nor  is  there  any  prospect 
that  anything  will  come  of  it  (although  Do.  Dorsius  and 
Doctor  Jacob  Diemer,  of  whose  disposition  we  trust  the  Chris- 
tian Synods  have  some  knowledge,  have  received  a  power  of 
attorney  several  years  ago)  unless  it  be  put  into  different 
hands,  for  then  the  case  can  be  pushed  with  a  free  conscience. 

Meanwhile   some   of   the   poor,   penniless   congregations, 

**'The  first  official  liturgy  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  the  U. 
S.  A.,  "for  voluntary  use,"  was  issued  in  1905,  entitled  The  Book  of 
Common  Worship,  Philadelphia,  The  Presbyterian  Board  of  Publica- 
tion and  Sabbath  School  Work. 

'"The  chief  blame  for  the  unfortunate  "Reiff  affair,"  involving 
about  fl.  2100  collected  in  Holland,  ought  not  to  be  put  on  Weiss,  who 
never  had  charge  of  the  money,  but  upon  Reiff  and  the  elders  in  Phila- 
delphia, who  directed  his  actions.  They  advised  investing  the  money 
in  merchandise.  When  this  venture  proved  a  total  failure,  none  of 
the  parties  was  willing  to  bear  the  loss,  and  as  a  result  Reiff  was  un- 
willing to  pay  out  the  money. 


LETTER  OF  1744  393 

whose  worship  had  been  held  thus  far  in  poor  houses  and 
barns,  which  was  no  longer  possible  because  of  the  increase  of 
members,  could  not  help  themselves  in  any  other  way  but  by 
undertaking  themselves  to  build  churches.  For  this  purpose 
those  who  had  the  largest  means  contributed  their  share,  but 
since  those  unable  to  give  could  not  be  asked  to  contribute 
anything,  they  were  compelled  to  run  into  debt,  upon  which 
they  must  now  pay  interest.  This  cannot  at  all  or  with  diffi- 
culty be  paid  from  the  alms  that  come  in.  At  present  we 
cannot  state  accurately  how  the  matter  stands  in  each  locality, 
but  it  will  be  investigated  as  far  as  possible  and  be  added 
hereunto,  stating  as  it  truly  is.-"* 

From  this  the  Reverend  Christian  Synods  can  see  that  we 
are  unable  to  provide,  with  our  own  means,  dwelling  houses 
for  ministers  and  readers  (of  which  houses  there  are  as  yet 
none  at  any  place),  which  are  indispensably  necessary. 

Hence,  VvC  prostrate  ourselves  as  needy  fellow  believers 
before  the  Christian  Synods,  praying  with  humble  hearts  that 
the  Reverend  Christian  Synods  will  pity  us  with  Christian 
charitableness,  and  for  Christ's  sake  support  us  with  suitable 
contributions,  when  they  see  that  it  is  indispensably  necessary. 

Especially  do  we  ask  the  Reverend  Christian  Synods  that, 
according  to  their  fatherly  care,  they  will  graciously  remember 
us  first  of  all  in  this  most  necessary  request,  namely  that  the 
poor,  widely  scattered  sheep  of  Christ  in  this  land  will  be  pro- 
vided with  faithful  ministers  and  servants  of  the  Gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ;  for  our  pastor,  who  joins  with  us  in  this  humble 
request  and  who  has  been  with  us  faithfully  for  more  than  i8 
years  (without  being  a  burden  to  any  one,  but  having  patience 
with  us  in  our  poverty)  has  now  passed  his  6oth  year^®^  and  is 
becoming  physically  incapable  of  enduring  the  constant  travels 
round  about  in  the  country  in  all  kinds  of  weather.  Neither 
do  we  know  how  long  God  will  leave  us  together.  What  would 
become  of  us  afterwards  if  we  had  to  part,  especially  in  view 
of  the  many  and  dangerous  sects  around  us,  the  Christian 

^^  This  refers  to  the  longest  and  most  exhaustive  report  which 
Boehm  sent  to  Holland  in  July,  1744.     See  pp.  408-425. 

^"As  Boehm  was  baptized  October  25,  1683,  he  was  most  likely 
born  in  the  same  month. 


394  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

Synods  will  kindly  take  into  consideration. 

The  great  and  merciful  God,  as  the  abundant  rewarder  of 
all  good,  will  richly  reward  it,  because  it  is  only  sought  and 
only  done  for  the  honor  of  His  most  holy  name,  the  upbuilding 
and  increase  of  the  true  members  of  the  body  of  Jesus  Christ 
in  his  true  Church.  We  shall  unceasingly  pray  before  the 
throne  of  our  true  and  merciful  God,  that  He  will  graciously 
cause  His  hand  of  blessing,  which  is  extended  over  our  richly 
favored  fellow-believers  in  the  Netherlands,  to  reach  to  the 
end  of  the  world,  especially  over  their  flourishing  ecclestiastical 
organization.  May  He  sanctify  and  bless  the  Reverend  Chris- 
tian Synods,  as  patrons  of  the  true  Church,  in  all  their  plans  to 
the  honor  of  His  holy  name  and  the  eternal  Salvation  of  many 
precious  souls. 

We  wish  for  the  Reverend  Christian  Synods,  for  each  of 
your  godly  persons,  the  eternally  valid  reward  of  grace  and 
the  crown  of  eternal  blessedness,  in  return  for  your  work  in 
this  service  of  the  Lord. 

Commending  you,  together  with  your  families  and  holy 
service,  to  God  and  the  Word  of  His  grace,  we  remain, 

The  two  Christian  Synods'  of  South  and  North  Holland 

Humblest  and  most  submissive  brethren  and  children  in 
the  Lord,  members  of  the  consistories,  now  in  service  in  the 
German  Reformed  churches  in  Pennsylvania,  in  whose  name 
we  sign, 

'Johan  Philips  Boehm,  minister. 
John  Druckdenhengst,-^®  elder. 
I  John  Dunkel,  elder. 
Of  the  congregation  at  Frederick  Reymer,  elder. 

Falckner  Schwam,  \  his 

February  26,  1744.  J  Jacob  X    Krausen,  elder. 

mark 
John  Dieter  Bucher,  deacon. 
^Adam  Rader,  deacon. 


"•■John  Druckdenhengst,  Johannes  Dunkel  and  Jacob  Kraus  were 
naturalized  at  Philadelphia,  September  24,  1741.  See  Pennsylvania  Ar- 
chives. 2nd  Series,  Vol.  II,  p.  353f. 


LETTER  OF  1744  395 

/Jacob  Arnet,-^'  elder. 

I  his 

Of  the  congregation  at  Undrew  O  Oberbeck,  elder. 

Schipbach,  (  mark 

March  4,  1744-  /Adam  Meirer,  elder. 

\  Henry  Wuehrman,  deacon. 

iWillem  De  Wees,^««  elder. 
Christopher  Ottinger-^  elder. 
Michael  Kleim,  deacon. 
Philip  Scherer,  deacon. 

! Rudolf  Wiellecken,  elder. 
Jacob  Walter,  elder. 
John  Daniel  Bouton/-  elder. 
John  Michael  Diell,"^  elder. 

'"Jacob  Arnet  arrived  in  Philadelphia,  September  27,  1727.  He 
settled  in  Lower  Salford  Township,  Philadelphia  County.  He  was  a 
weaver  by  trade.  He  signed  his  will  January  15,  1751.  It  was  pro- 
bated December  22,  1753.    See  Will  Book,  K,  p.  134,  at  Philadelphia. 

'"*  William  De  Wees,  of  Germantown,  miller,  signed  his  will 
November  22,  1744.  It  was  probated  July  13,  1745.  He  died  March 
3,  1745,  and  was  buried  in  the  Axe  Burying  Ground  (Dotterer,  His- 
torical Notes,  p.  25).  The  beneficiaries  of  his  will  were  his  wife  Anna 
Christina;  his  sons,  William,  Cornelius,  Philip  and  Garrett,  and  his 
daughters,  Christina,  Margaret  and  Mary.  See  Will  Book,  H,  pp.  2-4, 
at  Philadelphia.  The  De  Wees  Family,  collected  by  Mrs.  Philip  E. 
La  Munyan,  Ellwood  Roberts,  Editor,  Norristown,   1905. 

"'Christopher  Ottinger,  of  Springfield  Township,  Philadelphia 
County,  innholder,  signed  his  will  November  12,  1748.  It  was  pro- 
bated November  28,  1748.  He  left  his  property  to  his  wife  Eva;  to  his 
sons,  Christopher,  William  and  John,  and  to  his  daughters,  Mary, 
Elizabeth,  Catherine  and  Barbara.  See  Will  Book,  G,  p.  351,  at  Phila- 
delphia. 

""John  Daniel  Bouton  arrived  in  Philadelphia,  August  27,  1739. 
He  was  naturalized  April  14,  1747  (see  Pa.  Archives,  2d  Series,  Vol. 
II.  p.  372).  He  was  a  baker  by  trade.  On  April  13,  1759,  he  made 
his  will.  It  was  proved  November  24,  1762.  His  beneficiaries  were  his 
wife;  his  sons,  George  and  Jacob;  his  daughter,  Wilhelmina  and  the 
wife  of  his  deceased  son  Frederick.  See  IVill  Book,  M.  p.  425.  Ac- 
cording to  the  church  record  he  died  November  14,  1762,  aged  seventy- 
one  years,  ten  months  and  several  days.  On  December  13,  1773,  the 
widow  of  Daniel  Bouton  was  buried,  aged  eighty-one  years. 

""John  Michael  Dill  (Diel)  qualified  at  Philadelphia,  September 
21,    1727,   a   member   of   the   colony   of   Rev.    G.    M.   Weiss.     He    was 


396  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

[This  letter  was  accompanied  by  the  following  enclosures  :] 

ENCLOSURE  A. 

[LETTER   OF   DEPUTY   JOHN   W.   A   MARCK   TO   THE   RE- 
FORMED CONGREGATIONS  IN   PENNSYLVANIA, 
SEPTEMBER  20,  1743.] 

To  the  Ministers  and  Members  of  the  Consistories  of  the  Reformed 

Congregations  in  Pennsylvania. 
Very  Reverend  Sirs,  Much  Beloved  Brethren  in  Christ: — 

Grace  and  peace  be  to  the  Brethren  together  with  faith  and  love 
in  Christ  Jesus. 

It  has  pleased  the  two  Christian  Synods  of  South  and  North 
Holland  to  receive  some  light  and  information  concerning  the  state 
of  the  churches  in  Pennsylvania  from  the  mouth  of  Do.  Dorsius, 
minister  in  Bucks  County,  Pennsylvania,  lately  come  over  from  there, 
for  which  they  had  thus  far  waited  in  vain. 

They  would  have  preferred  to  have  heard  a  more  advantageous 
report,  but  they  were  sorry  to  learn  that  instead  of  improving  they 
seemed  to  deteriorate,  of  which  among  other  reasons  the  principal 
reason  seemed  to  be  the  lack  of  ministers,  the  smallness  of  the  salaries, 
and  especially  that  every  church  existed  by  itself  and  that  they  had  no 
fellowship  among  each  other. 

The  Deputies  take  much  interest  in  the  welfare  of  your  churches, 
and  are  willing  to  contribute  to  it  as  much  as  possible. 

But,  although  Do.  Dorsius  has  given  them  some  information 
and  in  so  far  satisfied  them,  yet  they  are  not  yet  so  fully  informed  con- 
cerning it  that  they  can  give  it  real  help. 

For  this  reason  they  have  requested  Do.  Dorsius  that  his  Rever- 
ence, together  with  his  fellow-laborers  and  the  officers  in  the  congre- 
gations of  those  regions,  would  draw  up  an  accurate  account  and  short 
report  concerning  the  entire  condition  of  their  churches,  cause  it  to 
be  signed  by  the  ministers  and  consistories,  and  hand  the  same  over, 
the  sooner  the  better,  to  his  Reverence,  that  it  may  be  sent  back  on 
the  same  ship  with  which  his  Reverence  is  now  sailing  to  Pennsj'l- 
vania.  Its  skipper  expects  to  be  back  in  the  month  of  February,  1744, 
so  that  it  can  be  deliberated  upon  in  the  month  of  March  and  follow- 
ing, and  a  report  concerning  it  can  be  laid  before  the  two  Synods. 

Especially  do  the  Deputies  wish  to  be  informed,  since  they  under- 
stand that  there  is  a  Scotch  Presbyterian  Synod,  whether  the  High 
German  and  Low  German  [Dutch]  congregations  could  not  unite  with 
it?     And,  if  that  cannot  be  done,  whether  another  church  organization 

naturalized   September   25-27,    1740,   together   with   Jacob   Walter   and 
John  Wendel  Brechbill,  two  other  Philadelphia  elders. 


LETTER  OF  1744  397 

could  not  be  established,  in  order  to  maintain  there  good  order?  The 
Deputies  are  of  the  opinion  that  this  is  of  utmost  necessity,  in  order 
to  prevent  their  total  ruin  and  advance  their  best  interests. 

We  trust  that  your  Reverences,  who  are  truly  interested  in  the 
welfare  of  the  Church  of  God,  will  comply  with  our  legitimate  request 
and  gladly  carry  it  out. 

Commending  your  Reverences  herewith  to  God  and  the  Word 
of  His  grace,  we  remain  with   favorable  inclination  towards  you. 

Reverend  Sirs,  Much  Beloved  Brethren  in  Christ,  Your  Rever- 
ences' Devoted  Servants  and  Fellow-Brethren,  The  Deputies  of  the 
Synods. 

Signed  in  the  name  of  all  by  me, 

John  V/illi.^m  a   Marck, 
Pastor  Goudensis,  Deputatorum  h.  t.  Scriba. 
The  Hague,  September  20,  1743. 
The  above  letter  is  the   same  which  was  sent  by  Mr.  Dorsius, 
minister  in  Bucks  County,  Pennsylvania,  on  his  return  from  Holland, 
thus  open  as  it  is,  to  our  minister,  Mr.  John  Philips  Boehm,  to  Phila- 
delphia, on  January  21,  1744,  which  we  attest, 

John  Daniel  Bouton,  Elder. 
Jacob  Walter,  Elder. 


ENCLOSURE  B. 

[This  is  identical  with  the  report  of  Mr.  Boehm,  dated  by  him 
January  14,  1739,  and  by  his  consistories  January  28-February  22,  1739, 
addressed  to  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam.  It  was  given  as  enclosure  B. 
of  Boehm's  letter  of  March  26,  1740,  sent  to  the  Classis.  It  is  printed 
p.  272ff.    The  catalogue  number  of  the  copy  at  The  Hague  is  74,  1,  24.] 


ENCLOSURE  C. 

[This  is  identical  with  enclosure  D.  of  Boehm's  letter  of  March 
26,  1740,  addressed  to  the  Classis.  It  is  printed  p.  285ff.  The  copy 
at  The  Hague  is  marked  74,  I,  27.] 


ENCLOSURE  D. 

[STATISTICS  OF  THE  COMMUNICANTS  OF  THE  REV.  JOHN 
PHILIP  BOEHM,  FOR  THE  YEARS  1743-1744."'] 

As  a  High  German  Reformed  Minister  I  have  celebrated  the 
Lord's  Supper  in  the  following  High  German  Reformed  Congregations. 
The  names  of  the  congregations  and  the  number  of  the  communicants 
were  as  follows : 

'"  The  original  in  the  archives  at  The  Hague,  74,  1,  29. 


398  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

New 
Communicants 

1743                                                     Men  Women     Total     Boys     Girls 

Spring 

March  13  At  Weitmarge 24  27             51 

March  20  At  Philadelphia  49  49 

April    17  Ditto    48  37 

March  27  At  Falckner  Schwam...  71  60 

April   24  Ditto    56  49 

April     3  At  Schip  Bach  18  18             36             1 

April  4  At  Providentz  Town- 
ship, in  a  newly  gath- 
ered congregation'"'..   19  13              32 

May       6  At  Tolpihacken,   in  the 


183  1 

236  5 


new  church  65  59 

May       8  Ditto,  in  the  old  church  66  63 


1  3 

253  2  3 


239 


126 


Totals    791  10  15 

In  the  Fall 

Sept.  11  At  Falckner  Schwam, 
called  New  Hanover 
Township   66  63 

Oct.       9  Ditto  55  55 

Sept.    18  At     Schip     Bach,     Sal- 

forth  Township  16  19  35 

Sept.   23  At  Dolpihacken,  in  new 

church   38  57 

Sept.    25  Ditto,  in  the  old  church  62  64 

N.  B.  In  Tolpihacken 
the  old  church  is  now 
called  the  new,  be- 
cause the  congrega- 
tion there  built  this 
year  a  new  church"* 

Oct.       2  At  Philadelphia   41  49    |       144  . .  2 

Oct.     29  Ditto    36  38    j  . .  3 

Oct.     23  At  Weitmarge 23  24  47  1 

Totals  591  26 

JoHANN  Ph.  Boehm. 

"'This  congregation  is  now  St.  Luke's  Reformed  Church  at 
Trappe,   Providence  Township,  Montgomery  County,  Pa. 

"*The  old  Tulpehocken  church  is  identical  with  what  is  now 
Host  Church,  in  Tulpehocken  Township,  Berks  County,  Pa.  The  new 
Tulpehocken  church  is  now  Trinity  Reformed  Church,  near  Myers- 
town,  Pa.     See  p.  68. 


I        290 


LETTER  OF  1744  399 

Communion  Services  in  the  High  German  Reformed  Congrega- 
tions, which  have  been  held  by  me,  the  undersigned,  in  the  spring 
of  1744. 

Communi- 
1744  cants      Totals 

March  25  At  Falckner  Schwam,  on  Easter   110    1 

April   22  At  the  same  place  103    j         ^^^ 

April     1  At  Schip  Bach 33 

April     8  At  Weitmarge 33 

April    15  At  Philadelphia   112    | 

May     13  At  the  same  place,  on  Pentecost   101     ) 

April   27  At    Dolpihacken,    in    old    church    149 

April   29  In  the  new  church  there   141 

April  24  In  the  newly  organized  congregation  at  Meden- 
krik  [Muddy  Creek],'"  about  12  miles  from 
Oley.  I  held  divine  service  for  the  first  time 
in  their  newly  built  little  church  and  admin- 
istered the  Lord's  Supper;  there  communed  83 
May  3  On  Ascension  Day,  at  the  newly  gathered  con- 
gregation in  Providence.  At  the  first  com- 
munion there,  on  November  5,  1743,"'  there 
were  present  19  communicants;  at  this  time 
there  communed    (in   a  barn)    63 

Total 878 

JoHAN  Philips  Boehm, 
High   German  Reformed  Minister  in  Pennsylvania. 

"'  The  Muddy  Creek  Church  is  in  East  Cocalico  Township,  Lan- 
caster County,  about  seven  miles  northeast  of  Ephrata.  There  probably 
was  an  earlier  organization  started  by  Peter  Miller.  But  Lischy  re- 
organized the  congregation  when  he  became  its  pastor  in  1743.  His 
first  baptism  there  is  dated  March  30,  1743.  In  the  old  Lutheran 
Muddy  Creek  record  baptisms  of  Peter  Miller  are  recorded  between 
1780-1733. 

"'This  date  is  probably  a  mistake  for  1742.     See  p.  74. 


400  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

ENCLOSURE  E. 

[CHURCH    ORDER    OR    COXSTITUTIOX    OF    MR.    BOEHM'S 
CONGREGATIONS,  IMPROVED  IN  1730.'"] 

ANNO  1730. 

The  following  are  our  church  ordinances,  heretofore 
drawn  up  and  now  improved,  with  obedient  submission  to  the 
Very  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  namely, 

1.  That  the  consistories  which  are  now  in  service  in  the 
three  congregations  at  Falckner  Schwam,  Schipbach  and  Weit- 
marsche  shall  be  recognized  and  remain  in  office  for  their 
appointed  term,  when  all  the  members  of  the  congregations  (as 
has  been  done  heretofore),  together  with  the  minister  and 
consistories,  shall  elect  new  members  of  the  consistories. 

But,  at  the  same  meeting,  all  the  members  of  the  congre- 
gations shall  transfer,  each  to  his  own  consistory,  all  power 
and  right  thereafter  from  year  to  year  to  elect  officers  by  a 
majority  vote  of  the  consistories  themselves,  because  with  the 
growth  and  spread  of  the  congregations  it  is  not  feasible  to 
bring  together  all  the  members  just  for  this  purpose. 

The  persons  elected  to  the  consistory  shall  be  announced, 
each  in  his  own  congregation,  three  Sundays,  to  ascertain 
whether  any  one  has  any  lawful  objection  to  offer,  and,  if  not, 
they  shall,  after  the  third  announcement,  be  installed  in  office. 

And  should  it  happen,  which  we  do  not  expect  of  any  one, 
that  one  or  more  of  the  members  of  the  consistory  should  give 
offense  by  his  conduct  in  any  way  whatsoever,  or  seek  to 
create  strife  and  division  in  the  congregations,  he  shall  be 
promptly  admonished  by  the  remaining  members  of  the  con- 
sistory to  discontinue  such  conduct,  and  should  any  one  not 
heed  the  admonition  he  shall  then  be  removed  from  office,  and 
another  member  from  among  the  number  last  in  service  shall 
be  elected  by  the  minister  and  the  remaining  members  of  the 
consistory  and  be  regularly  installed ;  then  he  shall  serve  as  if 
he  had  been  continuously  in  office. 

2.  Should  one  who  has  retired  from  the  office  of  elder  or 
deacon  be  free  two  years  he  may  thereafter  be  re-elected,  or 
even  sooner,  should  this  be  considered  necessary  by  the  con- 

*"  Original  in  Hague  Archives,  74,  I,  34. 


LETTER  OF   1744  401 

sistory  then  in  office. 

3.  The  elders,  deacons  and  members  of  the  three  above- 
mentioned  congregations  have  recognized  Do.  Johann  PhiHps 
Boehm  as  their  regular  minister,  and  desire  that  with  the  grace 
of  God  he  may  long  continue  in  faithful  service,  according  to 
the  doctrine  of  the  Reformed  churches,  as  he  has  done  hitherto. 

N.  B.  Here  it  is  to  be  observed  that  instead  of  the  name 
of  Johann  Philips  Boehm,  who  was  the  first  minister  of  these 
three  Reformed  congregations  in  Pennsylvania,  the  name  of 
the  minister  actually  in  these  congregations  shall  be  clearly 
announced. 

4.  The  minister,  elders  and  deacons  and  the  entire  congre- 
gation shall  observe,  both  on  the  Lord's  day  and  on  other  days, 
the  time  when  and  the  place  where  divine  service  is  appointed ; 
yet  they  may  change  the  same  at  pleasure. 

5.  The  Sacrament  of  Baptism  shall  at  all  times  be  ad- 
ministered without  fee  after  divine  service.  Beside  the 
parents,  witnesses  shall  be  present  at  the  baptism,  and  this 
well-established  custom  shall  not  be  lightly  changed.  As  wit- 
nesses at  the  baptism  shall  be  chosen  persons  who  have  con- 
fessed the  pure  doctrine  of  the  Gospel,  and  whose  lives  are 
blameless. 

6.  The  Holy  Supper  shall  be  administered  twice  a  year 
in  every  congregation  in  which  divine  worship  is  maintained. 
No  one  shall  be  admitted  thereto  unless  upon  confession  before 
the  consistory  and  evidence  of  a  godly  life,  or  proper  testi- 
monials from  another  Reformed  congregation,  in  accordance 
with  the  Church  Order  of  the  Synod  of  Dort  of  1618  and  1619. 

All  the  members  shall  always  appear  at  the  preparatory 
sermon,  and  after  the  service  shall  come  forward.  In  case 
they  become  careless  in  this  matter  they  shall  be  spoken  to  by 
the  consistory  as  may  be  found  necessary. 

The  parents  shall  faithfully  instruct  the  young  in  Re- 
formed worship,  and  shall  see  to  it  that  they  give  faithful 
attention  to  the  hearing  of  the  Word  of  God,  both  in  preaching 
and  in  catechetical  instruction,  so  that  the  youth  may  also  be 
admitted  to  the  Holy  Communion. 

All  the  members  may  commune  in  each  of  the  three  con- 
gregations, and  to  this  there  shall  be  no  lawful  objection  so 
long  as  they  have  the  same  minister. 

26 


402  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

7.  The  bread  and  the  wine  for  the  Holy  Communion  shall 
always  be  bought  and  provided  by  the  deacons  out  of  the  alms 
that  have  been  collected,  and  afterward  they  shall  give  a  faith- 
ful account  of  the  same. 

8.  To  meet  this  and  other  necessities  of  the  church,  the 
alms  shall  always  be  gathered  by  the  deacons  while  the  con- 
gregation leaves  the  church,  or  otherwise,  as  the  consistory  may 
direct. 

9.  The  members  of  the  consistory,  whether  they  be  elders 
or  deacons,  to  whom  is  entrusted  the  church  treasury  or  other 
property,  shall  annually  render  before  the  consistory  an  exact 
account  of  their  stewardship.  For  this  purpose  they  shall  keep 
a  faithful  record  of  all  receipts  and  expenditures,  and  when 
found  correct  the  accounts  shall  be  signed  by  the  minister  and 
an  elder  in  behalf  of  all  as  approved. 

10.  Should  a  member  of  the  congregation,  male  or  female, 
fall  into  any  sin,  he  shall  be  placed  under  the  supervision  of  the 
consistory  until  he  promise  and  give  evidence  of  amendment  of 
life. 

11.  It  shall  be  the  office  and  duty  of  the  minister  to  preach 
the  pure  doctrine  of  the  Reformed  Church  according  to  the 
Word  of  God,  and  to  administer  the  holy  Seals  of  the  Covenant 
at  their  appointed  time  and  place ;  always  to  adhere  to  the 
confession  of  faith  of  the  Reformed  churches  and  to  the 
Heidelberg  Catechism ;  to  explain  the  same  regularly  and  con- 
secutively; to  hold  catechetical  instruction,  etc.  He  shall  give 
special  attention  to  church  discipline  and  correct  practice, 
together  with  those  who  have  the  oversight  of  the  Congregation. 
He  shall  not  omit  to  hold  divine  service  at  the  appointed  times 
and  places,  namely  at  Falckner  Schwam,  Schipbach  and  Weit- 
marsche. 

12.  At  least  once  every  half  year  the  consistory  shall  hold 
a  meeting,  but  the  minister  shall  enter  in  a  book  all  church 
matters. 

13.  Should  it  happen  that  he  be  inclined  to  remove,  either 
being  called  elsewhere  or  for  other  weighty  reasons,  he  shall 
give  notice  as  soon  as  possible  to  the  congregations,  so  that 
they  may  not  be  left  embarrassed,  but  may  in  time  secure 
another  suitable  man. 

And,  further,  in  all  other  things  the  minister  shall  conduct 


LETTER  OF   1744  403 

himself  as  a  faithful  servant  of  Christ,  the  Great  Shepherd  of 
the  sheep. 

14.  The  minister,  together  with  the  elders  and  deacons, 
shall  exercise  careful  oversight  over  the  congregation ;  shall 
attend  to  the  time  and  place  appointed  to  hold  consistory  meet- 
ings, and  shall  not  absent  themselves  without  weighty  reasons. 

They  shall  faithfully  administer,  according  to  their  best 
ability,  everything  embraced  in  this  church  discipline,  each 
according  to  his  office;  and  if  any  one  knows  of  any  scandal 
concerning  another,  be  that  one  an  officer  or  any  other  mem- 
ber, he  shall  feel  conscientiously  bound  to  make  known  the 
same,  not  from  envy  or  hatred,  but  to  prevent  all  offense. 

The  accused  party  shall  not  be  allowed  to  ask  for  the  name 
of  his  accuser,  nor  shall  he  stubbornly  deny  the  sin  proved 
against  him  nor  obstinately  persist  in  the  same.  Those  who 
thus  act  shall  not  be  regarded  as  members  of  the  congregation 
until  they  promise  and  shovv?  amendment  of  life. 

And  in  case  any  one  has  anything  to  say  against  the 
doctrine  or  life  of  the  minister,  or  of  any  other  member  of  the 
consistory,  or  against  any  member,  he  shall  abstain  from  all  dis- 
graceful and  slanderous  language,  and  shall  not  avenge  him- 
self, but  shall  make  known  the  matter  to  the  consistory  and 
leave  it  in  its  hands.  The  same  shall  then  be  bound  hereby  to 
use  all  diligence  to  prevent  scandal  as  much  as  possible. 

15.  The  ruling  elders  and  deacons  of  the  congregation 
shall  at  all  times  faithfully  see  to  it  that  in  the  most  friendly 
way  it  be  brought  to  the  attention  of  every  member  of  the 
congregation,  and  of  every  one  else  who  shows  a  disposition 
to  manifest  his  love  in  this  way,  to  make  a  free-will  offering 
to  the  minister's  salary,  and  such  contributions  shall  be  received 
by  the  consistory,  through  a  person  appointed  for  the  purpose, 
at  the  time  most  convenient  to  make  the  payment,  and  shall 
then  be  paid  by  this  person  at  the  appointed  time  to  the 
minister  on  his  fixed  salary. 

16.  This  Church  Order,  which  was  sent  by  us  with  obedi- 
ent submission  to  the  Very  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam 
in  the  month  of  July,  1728,  and  which  was  approved  by  this 
very  reverend  assembly,  is  hereby  enlarged  and  established.  So 
also  what  was  added  by  the  very  reverend  ministers,  Revs. 
Gualtherus  Du  Bois  and  Henricus  Boel  of  New  York     and 


404  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

Vincentius  Antonides  of  Long  Island,  appointed  for  this  pur- 
pose by  the  Very  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  and  con- 
curred in  by  the  three  delegated  elders  of  the  three  congrega- 
tions of  Falckner  Schwam,  Schipbach  and  Weitmarsche, 
namely:  Frederick  Antes,  Gabriel  Schueler  and  William  De 
Wees,  under  the  date  of  November  i8,  1729,  shall  be  kept  in- 
violate according  to  our  best  ability ;  in  order  that  we  may 
hold  steadfastly  to  the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  all  the  Formulas 
of  Unity  and  the  Synod  of  Dort;  neither  shall  we  nor  our 
descendants  be  permitted  to  add  anything  thereto,  to  take  any- 
thing therefrom,  or  to  act  contrary  thereto,  nor  to  receive  or 
acknowledge  any  one  as  their  regular  minister  before  such  a 
one,  as  well  as  every  thing  else,  be  submitted  by  the  consistory 
of  the  three  congregations  to  the  Very  Reverend  Classis  of 
Amsterdam  or  to  their  delegates  and  approved  by  the  same; 
and  at  all  times  the  answer  received  shall  be  final. 

17.  The  preceding  Church  Order  of  our  three  congrega- 
tions mentioned  above  shall  be  read  publicly  each  year  to  the 
whole  congregation  at  the  time  of  the  installation  of  new 
elders  and  deacons,  and  that  they  may  adhere  to  them  more 
firmly,  the  new  elders  and  deacons,  before  they  are  installed, 
shall  each  year  subscribe  to  it  in  their  own  hand  writing,  and 
shall  then  be  properly  installed  in  office  in  the  presence  of  the 
congregation.    As  we  hereby  do. 

[Signatures.] 

That  these  preceding  church  ordinances  of  the  three  above 
said  congregations  agree  verbatim  with  the  original,  inserted 
into  our  church  record,  and  that  the  High  German  Reformed 
Congregation  at  Philadelphia  accepted  the  same,  according  to 
the  minutes  of  the  church  record,  in  the  year  1734,  and  hence 
maintains  Christian  unity  and  fellowship  with  all  the  congre- 
gations living  under  this  church  order,  and  that  all  ministerial 
acts  have  been  done  in  accordance  with  the  same,  this  is  at- 
tested by 

JoHANN   Philips   Boehm,   minister. 
JoHANN  Daniel  Bouton,  elder. 
Jacop.  Walter,  elder. 

Philadelphia, 

March  18,  1744. 


LETTER  OF   1744  405 


ENCLOSURE  F. 


[This  is  the  Second  Faithful  Warning,  issued  by  Mr. 
Boehm,  May  19,  1743.  It  is  printed  above,  see  p.  373ff;  and 
also  the  reference  to  it  in  the  letter  of  March  18,  1744,  see 
p.  390.] 


[XXXVII.    MR.    BOEHM    AND    THE    PHILADELPHIA    CON- 
SISTORY TO  THE  SYNODS  OF  HOLLAND,  JULY  8,  1744."'1 

Very  Reverend  Christian  Synods: — 

As  we  hope  submissively,  the  Christian  Synods  will  suffi- 
ciently learn  from  our  obedient  and  dutiful  report  concerning 
the  entire  state  of  the  churches  in  Pennsylvania,  how  in  ac- 
cordance with  our  duty  we  have  complied  with  everything  that 
the  Christian  Synods  requested  of  us  in  the  letter,  dated  Sep- 
tember 20,  1743,  sent  to  us  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Dorsius,  and  re- 
ceived by  us  on  January  21,  1744.  We  lost  no  time,  but,  since 
we  lacked  an  opportunity  to  send  the  report  dutifully,  it  has, 
to  our  great  regret,  remained  in  our  hands  for  such  a  long  time. 

We  also  consider  our  duty  towards  the  Christian  Synods 
to  enclose  a  statement  regarding  the  events  that  took  place 
after  the  completion  of  our  report.    It  is  as  follows : 

After  his  Reverence,  Mr.  Dorsius,  had  preached  at  Ger- 
mantown  last  Easter  Sunday,  May  13,  1744  (as  mentioned  at 
the  end  of  the  enclosed  specification)^''^  he  likewise  ad- 
ministered the  communion  at  that  place  on  April  22nd,  at 
which  occasion  44  men  and  40  women  communed.  Now,  we 
have  nothing  at  all  to  say  against  this,  since  that  congregation 
has  not  been  willing  to  come  under  our  Church  Order  and  to 
enter  into  ecclesiastical  communion  with  us.  But  we  leave 
it  to  his  Reverence,  Mr.  Dorsius,  to  answer  for  this.  We  think 
that,  as  a  minister  of  the  pure  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  he  would 
have  a  glorious  opportunity,  by  good  admonitions,  to  effect 
good  results  among  these  people  who  evince  such  a  quarrelsome 

'"  The  original  of  this  letter  is  in  the  archives  at  The  Hague,  74, 
I,  22. 

*'"  Identical  with  Boehm's  report  to  the  Synods,  dated  July 
8,  1744.     See  p.  424. 


40C  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

spirit  among  themselves.  For,  according  to  the  Gospel  of 
Jesus,  love,  peace  and  harmony  are  to  be  planted  among  the 
brethren,  and  they  are  to  be  faithfully  reminded  that  no  strife 
must  be  maintained  among  the  members  of  Christ. 

But,  on  the  contrary,  some  of  us  who  were  present  had 
to  see  with  a  sad  heart  that  not  only  this  congregation  by  such 
service  and  administration  of  the  Lord's  Supper  is  maintained 
and  confirmed  in  their  hitherto  disorderly  condition,  but  even 
our  congregation  at  Philadelphia,  which  has  for  some  time 
continued  in  good  order,  has  not  been  spared,  for  nine  mem- 
bers of  our  congregation  received  communion  from  Rev.  Mr. 
Dorsius  at  Germantown,  some  of  whom  have  stayed  away  for 
a  considerable  time  from  our  services,  of  which  we  have  never 
been  able  to  find  out  the  reason.  While  some,  because  of  their 
life  and  conduct,  ought  to  have  been  disciplined  according  to 
our  Church  Order,  others  ought  first  to  have  been  examined, 
because  they  have  evidently  much  intercourse  with  the  Mora- 
vians. 

Such  people  were  admitted  by  Rev.  Mr.  Dorsius  to  com- 
munion, without  examining  them  why  they  had  come  from 
Philadelphia  to  Germantown,  inasmuch  as  the  Lord's  Supper 
was  administered  [in  Philadelphia]  a  week  before  and  also, 
after  previous  announcement,  three  weeks  later,  according  to 
our  Church  Order,  as  is  shown  in  the  enclosed  specification. 

This  complaint  is  dutifully  submitted  to  the  Christian 
Synods,  because  Rev.  Mr.  Dorsius  compelled  us  to  do  so,  trust- 
ing humbly  that  the  Christian  Synods  will  give  ear  to  our  peti- 
tions for  the  peace  and  welfare  of  the  Lord's  congregations, 
and  prevail  upon  his  Reverence,  Mr.  Dorsius,  that  he  ofifend  no 
more  the  orderly  congregations,  (because,  as  we  hear  the  con- 
gregation at  Falckner  Schwam  makes  the  same  sad  complaint 
against  him),  for  if  such  things  should  become  customary 
(since  no  congregation,  however  good  it  may  be,  can  be  found 
without  some  obstinate  members),  a  proper  ecclesiastical 
household  would  become  impossible,  especially  if  the  ministers, 
upon  whom  much  depends  in  this  respect,  pay  no  attention 
to  it. 

As  for  the  rest,  we  cannot  say  that  his  Reverence,  Mr. 
Dorsius,  cares  much  for  the  welfare  and  growth  of  our  con- 
gregations, nor  does  he  exert  himself  that  the  German  Reformed 


LETTER  OF  1744  407 

Church  here,  together  with  its  minister,  may  be  quickened  in 
its  poverty  and  weakness  by  long  expected  kind  assistance. 
For,  since  the  time  (as  stated  in  our  previous,  submissive  re- 
port) that  we  received  through  his  Reverence  the  esteemed 
letter  of  the  Christian  Synods  (we  declare  officially)  we  have 
not  heard  one  word  from  his  Reverence,  asking  how  the  aflfair 
was  proceeding  or  endeavoring  to  contribute  well-meant  coun- 
sels in  behalf  of  this  important  and  necessary  undertaking. 
Hence  we  do  not  know  how  we  are  to  regard  the  aflfair,  as 
far  as  his  Reverence  is  concerned.  But,  since  we  cannot  ex- 
pect any  help  and  protection  from  the  government,  we  shall 
trust  to  the  grace  of  God  and  patiently  wait  for  His  gracious 
help,  that  with  His  assistance  and  through  the  Christian  Synods, 
as  our  devout  Church  Fathers,  this  most  necessary  object  [of 
an  ecclesiastical  organization]  be  attained.^"* 

Commending  the  Very  Reverend  Christian  Synods,  each 
one  of  your  godly  persons,  together  with  your  families  and 
holy  services,  to  God  and  the  Word  of  His  grace,  we  remain 
in  all  submission  and  ecclesiastical  obedience. 

The  members  of  the  Consistory  now  in  office  in  the  High 
German  Reformed  Congregation  at  Philadelphia. 

John  Philips  Boehm,  minister. 
John  Daniel  Bouton,  elder. 
Jacob  Walter,  elder. 
Nicholas  X  Ewig,  elder. 
John  Michael  Diell,  elder. 
John  Gaebhart,  deacon. 

Philadelphia, 
July  8,  1744. 

""'  The  desirability  of  a  regular  ecclesiastical  organization  is 
clearly  indicated  in  the  letter  of  the  Synodical  Deputy,  John  William 
a  Marck.  under  date  September  20,  1743.     See  above,  p.  396f. 


408  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

[XXXVIII.    REPORT  OF  MR.  BOEHM  TO  THE  SYNODS  OF 
NORTH  AND  SOUTH  HOLLAND,  JULY  8,  1744.'*'] 

A  TRUE  ACCOUNT 

of  the  origin  of  the  German  Reformed  congregations  in 
Pennsylvania,  with  the  required  statistics  of  the  communicants 
and  their  increase  from  time  to  time,  to  which  has  been  added  a 
further  report  of  the  condition  of  the  congregations,  made  by 
the  undersigned,  as  follows: 

Formerly,  when  there  were  no  Reformed  services  in  this 
country,  the  Reformed  people  at  Falckner  Schwam,  Schipbach 
and  Weitmarsch  came  together  and  when  they  took  com- 
munion it  was  with  the  Presbyterians  in  Philadelphia,  up  to 
the  year  1725.^^^ 

But,  because  this  appeared  to  some  as  not  in  accord  with 
our  Reformed  Church,  they  stayed  away  and  became  much 
scattered,  as  wandering  sheep  having  no  shepherd,  which  was 
very  distressing  to  observe. 

Accordingly  they  resolved  once  more  urgently  to  request 
me  (J.  P.  Boehm),  although  for  full  five  years  I  had  declined 
to  do  so,  that  I  would  become  their  pastor.  This  was  so 
touchingly  represented  to  me  by  two  of  their  number  there- 
unto commissioned  that  our  hearts  melted  together  in  tears, 
and  in  the  name  of  all  the  people  it  was  pressed  upon  my  con- 
science whether  I  had  the  courage  to  answer  for  it  at  the  last 
judgment,  if  I  should  leave  them  thus  without  help  and  allow 
so  many  souls  to  remain  scattered  among  all  kinds  of  sects,  of 
which  this  country  is  filled.  I  thought  indeed  that  it  would  be 
better  for  me  if  I  could  escape  this  yoke  and  support  my  family 
with  my  work  and  agriculture,  but  I  was  convinced  by  my 
conscience  that  I  could  not  do  otherwise.  I  allowed  myself 
therefore  to  be  persuaded  to  this  work.  With  humbleness  of 
heart  I  addressed  myself  to  the  Lord's  work,  and  drew  up  with 
my  brethren,  as  well  as  we  could  a  Constitution  of  the  church,  so 
that  all  things  might  be  done  in  good  order.  We  divided  the 
charge  into  the  three  congregations  mentioned  above,  and  when 

""The  original  German  report  of  Boehm  is  no  longer  in  exist- 
ence. But  a  Dutch  translation  of  it  is  preserved  in  the  archives  at  The 
Hague.     Its  catalogue  number  is  74,  I,  33. 

"'  For  confirmation  of  this  see  p.  28. 


LETTER  OF   1744  409 

the  Constitution  had  been  presented  to  and  accepted  by  the 
whole  people,  I  was  regularly  elected  by  each  one  of  the  con- 
gregations, and  a  formal  call  was  extended  to  me  by  the  elders. 
Whereupon  I  began  the  ministry  of  the  Lord  in  His  name. 
After  I  had  preached  a  few  times  to  my  dear  congregations, 
namely  Falckner  Schwam  (which  place  is  at  present  called 
New  Hanover  township),  Schipbach  and  Weitmarsch,  which 
had  entrusted  themselves  to  my  ministry,  we  celebrated  the 
Lord's  Supper,  and  there  communed  for  the  first  time  on 
October  15,  1725,  at  Falckner  Schwam  40  members;  in  Novem- 
ber at  Schipbach,  37  members;  on  December  23,  at  Weit- 
marsch, 24  members. 

This  was  the  first  beginning. 

These,  our  services,  were  continued  in  the  best  order  for 
two  years  in  such  a  manner  that  my  heart  rejoiced.  Moreover, 
since  that  time  again  as  many  communicants  arrived.  At  that 
time  a  congregation  was  also  gathered  in  Canastocka  [Cones- 
toga],  namely,  the  first  (which  I  used  to  call  Hill  Church,  the 
oldest  of  the  three  which  are  now  associated  together)  ;  also 
one  at  Tolpehacken  (where  now  also  two  have  come  into 
existence,  six  miles  apart).  These  two  congregations  at  Cana- 
stocka and  Tolpehacken  likewise  called  me.  They  desired 
to  be  organized,  which  desire  I  granted,  and  began  the  work 
and  ministry  of  the  Gospel  among  them  in  conformity  with 
our  Church  Order.  Subsequently  the  Lord's  Supper  was  cele- 
brated among  them  and  there  communed  on  October  14,  1727, 
at  Canastocka,  59  members;  on  October  18,  1727,  at  Tolpe- 
hacken, 32  members.     (At  both  places  for  the  first  time). 

Whereupon  after  that  time  Frederick  Hillegas^*^  arrived 
in  this  country  with  a  companion.  He  also  had  two  brothers, 
called  Peter  and  Michael,^^^  living  at  Philadelphia,  but  he  him- 

"^John  Frederick  Hillegass  was  born  November  24,  1685.  He 
died  January  6,  17G5.  In  1736,  he  was  a  member  of  the  New  Goshen- 
hoppen  Reformed  congregation.  His  daughter,  Elizabeth  Barbara,  was 
baptized  there,  June  4,  17.32,  by  Rev.  John  Peter  Miller.  His  wife, 
Elizabeth  Barbara,  died  March  4,  1759.  See  Perkiomen  Region,  Vol. 
n,  170;  HI,  94. 

'**  On  March  18,  17.55,  letters  of  administration  were  granted  to 
Michael  Egge  and  Michael  Deal,  on  the  estate  of  Peter  Hillegass.  See 
Book  of  Administration,  Vol.  G,  p.  16,  at  Philadelphia.     On  November 


410  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

self  lived  at  New  Goschenhoppen.  He  brought  with  him  the 
well  known  Mr.  George  Michael  Weiss,  a  youthful  preacher 
(who  afterwards  sailed  for  Holland  with  the  likewise  well 
known  Jacob  Reiiif  to  collect  money,  of  which,  however,  they 
have  up  to  this  date  not  yet  rendered  any  account  nor  handed 
it  over),  whom  they  sought  to  force  in  a  violent  manner  and  in 
a  shameful  way  into  all  my  congregations  here.  Thus  with 
this  Weiss  they  were  a  hindrance  to  me  and  antagonized  me, 
inasmuch  as  Weiss  immediately  began  in  a  rude  manner  to 
belittle  me  with  shameful  letters  which  I  have  now  in  my 
possession.  He  ran  around  everyw^here,  tried  to  push  me 
violently  out  of  my  office  and  preached  in  all  my  congregations, 
without  first  consulting  me  about  it.  His  attacks  became  so 
rude  that  although  very  few  adhered  to  him,  and  these  only 
at  the  instigation  of  Hillegas  and  Doctor  Diemer,  I  began  to 
fear  that  our  work,  which  we  had  carried  on  thus  far  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord,  might  thereby  indeed  be  ruined. 

Particularly  did  he  throw  into  confusion  the  congregation 
at  Schipbach,  to  which  the  bold  and  impertinent  Jacob 
Reiff,  who  had  created  a  party  of  his  own,  contributed  ma- 
terially his  share.  However  heartily  and  frequently  I  have 
admonished  with  regard  to  this  the  congregation  at  Schipbach, 
which  separated  at  that  time,  yet  up  to  this  day  I  have  not 
been  able  to  unite  them  again,  because  a  party  has  been 
formed  there,  which  has  been  kept  continuously  by  one  irre- 
gular minister  after  another  in  the  fire  of  disorder.  When 
Weiss  went  to  Holland.  Peter  Miller  preached  there  (who  now 
for  a  long  time  has  been  a  Seventh  Day  Dunker)  ;  after  him 
came  Bartholomew  Rieger  (whom  I  never  considered,  on  ac- 
count of  certain  evidence,  to  be  different  from  or  more  sound 
in  the  Reformed  doctrine  than  Miller).  He  preached  there  for 
some  time.  After  that  they  accepted  young  Goetschi,  who 
also  follows  at  present  the  Moravian  teachers  (although  he 
was  ordained  for  Long  Island  by  Do.  Dorsius  (who  pretended 
to  be  inspector  over  the  German  and  Dutch  churches  in  this 

7,  1749,  letters  of  administration  were  granted  to  Margarctha  Hillegas, 
widow  of  Michael  Hillegas  and  to  'Michael  Hillegas,  son  of  the  said 
deceased.  Register  of  Wills  Office,  Philadelphia,  Book  of  Administra- 
tion, Vol.  F,  p.  290.     See  also  note  GO,  p.  216. 


LETTER  OF   1744  411 

country).  After  that  they  were  served  for  some  years  by 
John  William  Straub,  at  one  time  schoolmaster  in  the  Pala- 
tinate at  Cronau  (who  was  dismissed  there  for  adultery).  But 
these  people,  besides  some  others  whom  he  had  lured  away 
from  the  congregation  at  Schipbach,  have  again  deposed  him 
because  of  his  scandalous  conduct  (for  in  addition  he  is  a  great 
drunkard).  But  I  still  hope  that  when  Reiff  has  once  been 
taken  to  account  for  the  collected  money,  he  will  have  to  give 
up  the  church  which  stands  upon  his  property,  wherein  I  have 
not  yet  been  allowed  to  preach,  being  compelled  to  go  with  my 
little  flock  of  organized  people  from  one  place  to  another,  and 
get  along  with  houses  and  barns.  If  aid  should  then  be  given 
to  us  in  our  helpless  condition,  everything  would  come  right 
again,  and  it  is  possible  that  Schipbach  might  then  become  a 
fine  congregation.  But  toward  this  I  can  contribute  nothing,  if 
it  remains  as  it  is  now,  for  I  have  no  power  here,  and  we  are 
without  help  from  the  secular  authorities. 

As  regards  the  congregation  at  Philadelphia,  Mr.  Weiss 
also  took  that  out  of  my  hands  on  his  arrival,  aided  by  the 
above  mentioned  opponents;  for  I  had  then  already  preached 
there  a  few  times  at  their  desire.  But  when  he  returned  from 
Holland,  and  had  acted  so  unbecomingly  about  the  collected 
money  with  Reiff,  he  suddenly  departed  before  Reiff  came 
back,  which  was  a  year  later,  and  thus  abandoned  the  con- 
gregation. Whereupon  they  allowed  themselves  to  be  served 
by  the  aforesaid  adventurers,  and  last  of  all  by  Bartholomew 
Rieger,  from  whom  they  again  withdrew  when  they  saw  how 
his  affairs  stood,  but  only  when  they  were  nearly  ruined. 
After  all  these  things  they  called  me  (the  entire  congregation, 
man  for  man,  signed  the  call;  there  were  42  signatures,  dated 
April  24,  1734,^^*  of  which  I  enclose  a  copy)  and  asked  me  that 
I  might  come  to  their  rescue.  It  seemed  to  me  indeed  a  very 
difficult  matter  to  bring  such  a  disorganized  congregation  into 
order.  But  I  ventured  to  do  so  after  they  had  requested  me 
two  or  three  times,  and  I  began  the  Lord's  work  there  also, 
restoring  them  to  such  a  good  condition  that  up  to  this  time  I 
served  them,   even   as   my  first   three  congregations,   once   a 

***  For  this  document,  whose  actual  date  is  April  20,  1734,  see  pp. 
231-234. 


412  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

month.  Be  it  understood,  this  refers  only  to  the  religious  ser- 
vices; for  regarding  the  aforesaid  collections  I  have  no  au- 
thority, but  in  this  I  did  by  their  request  what  I  could,  which, 
however,  until  now  has  not  had  much  result. 

To  Tolpehacken,  on  account  of  the  great  distance,  I 
go  but  twice  a  year;  during  the  remaining  time  the  two  con- 
gregations in  that  locality  have  religious  services  by  means  of 
sermons  read  to  them.  They  remain  in  good  order,  and  do  not 
allow  themselves  to  be  in  the  least  delighted  with  the  false 
apostles  of  the  Moravians  (although  these,  especially  Jacob 
Lischy,  have  frequently  sought  until  now  in  an  artful  manner 
to  steal  in  among  them).-®** 

What  further  concerns  the  growth  and  increase  of  the 
several  churches,  it  may  be  stated  that  in  each  of  them  as 
named  herein,  from  the  beginning  to  the  present  time,  the 
Lord's  Supper  has  been  administered  every  half  year,  accord- 
ing to  the  Church  Order.  But  the  congregations  were  much 
disturbed  up  to  the  year  1734  by  great  disorders  and  continued 
personal  attacks  (noth withstanding  that  I  had  received  the 
sacred  ordination  of  the  Gospel  ministry  on  November  23.  1729, 
from  the  Reformed  ministers  at  New  York,  thereunto  author- 
ized by  the  Very  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  as  appears 
from  the  enclosure  No.  2).-^^ 

But  the  statistics  presented  herewith  will  show  what  prog- 
ress the  above  mentioned  congregations  have  made  after  the 
aforesaid  year  1734  until  now: 

=^"The  identity  of  the  two  Tulpehocken  churches  can  be  estab- 
lished by  the  following  facts:  (1)  In  1743,  the  older  Tulpehocken 
congregation  built  a  new  church,  in  which  Boehm  celebrated  the  first 
communion  on  May  G,  1743  (see  pp.  398,  416);  (2)  In  his  report  of 
1744  (see  p.  416)  Boehm  states  that  this  congregation,  which  recently 
erected  "a  tolerably  large,  beautiful  and  well-built  frame  church," 
owned  four  acres  of  land,  which  had  been  donated;  (3)  The  other 
Tulpehocken  congregation  had  bought  100  acres  of  land  and  had  built 
a  small  church  upon  it  (see  p.  416)  ;  (4)  The  Host  Church  has  deeds 
for  four  acres;  Trinity  Church,  near  Myerstown,  has  a  deed  for  100 
acres.  This  establishes  clearly  that  the  Host  Church  is  the  older 
Tulpehocken. 

""  It  is  printed  above,  see  pp.  177-180. 


LETTER  OF  1744  413 

Communicant  Members 
1734      1737      1740     1743 

At   Falckner   Schwam, 

April  7  40 

April  3  37 

April  26  152 

March  26,  131;  April  24,  105 236 

N.  B.  As  the  communicants  largely 
increased  the  Lord's  Supper  was 
held  there  twice  each  time. 

At  Schipbach, 

April  14  53 

April  9  55 

April  6  39 

April   3    (Easter)    36 

At  Weitmarsch, 

April  21  : 24 

April    16    15 

April  13  59 

March  13  51 

At  Philadelphia, 

September  15  88 

March  1  91 

April  20  (Easter)    130 

March  20,  98;  April  17,  85 183 

At  Tolpehacken, 

In   May    103 

In  May 119 

May  6,  at  one  place  124   |  rj^g 

May  8,  at  the  other  place  129.  j 

My  further  humble  report  which  I  have  to  make  to  the 
Christian  Synods  concerning  the  present  condition  of  each  of 
these  congregations  in  particular,  with  regard  to  different 
matters,  is  submitted  in  view  of  the  duty  and  obligation  I  owe 
to  you.    Their  condition,  as  far  as  known  to  me,  is  as  follows : 

The  congregation  at  Falckner  Schwam  has  erected  a  well- 
built  frame  church,  which  may  last  a  long  time,  but  they  still 
owe  nearly  sixty  pounds  on  it.  They  have  as  yet  no  dwelling 
house  for  either  pastor  or  reader. 

As  regards  the  congregation  at  Schipbach,  there  is  a  frame 
church  there,  but  Reiff  had  the  cunning  to  have  it  placed  on 
his  land,  and  thus  he  and  his  party  have  it  under  their  control 
and  in  their  possession.  On  this  account  I  and  my  little  flock, 
who  hold  loyally  to  the  Church  Order,  were  compelled  (because 


414  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

we  had  no  fixed  place  where  we  could  hold  our  services,  and 
had  to  take  refuge  from  place  to  place)  to  select  a  place  for 
that  purpose.  We  bought  therefore  a  plantation  of  150  acres 
for  220  pounds,  but  for  lack  of  funds  we  sold  100  acres  for 
100  pounds  and  retained  the  50  acres,  upon  which  already 
before  this  a  building  stood,  which  is  new,  and  was  not  erected 
for  less  than  100  pounds.  It  is  suited  in  every  way  for  a 
parsonage,  and  upon  that  piece  of  land  a  neat  and  suitable 
church  and  schoolhouse  could  be  built,  right  along  the  road. 
Indeed,  as  regards  location,  standing  in  the  midst,  between  the 
people's  houses,  it  is  more  advantageous  and  better  located 
than  the  one  standing  on  Reiff's  land.  This  plan  could  be 
carried  out  for  as  little  money  as  Reifif  would  charge  us  for 
land  and  church.  To  this  place  our  good-hearted  Reformed 
brethren  in  New  York  and  on  Long  Island,  on  the  urgent 
request  of  the  honorable  Consistory  there,  have  sent  us  44 
pounds.  That  amount  and  six  pounds  in  addition  were  paid 
in,  so  that  we  are  still  70  pounds  behind  in  this.  This  place 
has  now  been  rented  with  the  condition  that  we  always  retain 
the  liberty  of  holding  services  there.  And  from  the  rent  the 
interest  is  paid.  But  because  we  were  so  discouraged  and  saw 
no  help,  my  brethren  did  not  have  anything  more  to  do  with 
it,  but  wished  to  sell  the  land  again  or  load  the  whole  burden 
upon  my  neck.  In  order  not  to  let  this  place  go  so  lightly  out 
of  our  hands,  I  pledged  myself  alone  for  it,  and  I  have  yet  till 
next  August  ist,  more  than  a  year's  time  in  which  to  pay. 
Should  it  now  please  God  to  be  gracious  to  us  and  incline  the 
hearts  of  our  Church  Fathers  in  their  liberality  toward  us,  for 
which  we  poor  people  have  long  waited,  we  will  forever  be 
thankful  to  them  for  it.^^®  Finally,  I  have  not  had  until  now 
a  penny's  profit  from  this  place,  neither  have  I  looked  for  it, 
but  live  all  the  time,  up  to  this  date,  in  my  own  house.  But 
because  of  my  inability  I  do  not  see  how  I  can  longer  retain  this 
property,  unless  some  one  comes  to  my  aid. 

In  the  congregation  at  Weitmarch,  we  have  as  yet  noth- 
ing at  all  (in  the  way  of  a  church  building),  but  during  all  this 
time  we  have  held  our  religious  services  always  at  the  house 

^°  Not  receiving  any  aid  from  Holland,  Boehm  was  compelled  to 
sell  this  property  again,  December  2P,  1745.     See  p.  GO. 


LETTER  OF  1744  415 

of  Elder  William  De  Wees,  without  any  unwillingness  on  his 
part  or  the  least  expectation  of  payment.  The  honest  man 
cherishes  the  steadfast  hope  that  God  will  yet  furnish  means 
(to  build  a  church).-" 

At  Philadelphia  we  had  thus  far,  in  common  with  the  Lu- 
therans, an  old  dilapidated  butcher's  house,  at  an  annual  rent  of 
three  pounds  ;'**""  finally  this  was  raised  to  four  pounds,  which 
we  must  now  pay  alone,  for  the  Lutherans  have  built  a  church 
there  of  70  by  45  feet.  From  this,  people,  who  have  experience 
in  building  conclude  that  it  could  not  have  been  erected  for 

""  William  De  Wees  died,  before  this  hope  was  realized,  March 
3,  1745.     See  note  268,  p.  395. 

^""  A  contract  with  the  Lutherans  regarding  this  meeting  house 
is  found  in  the  Biidiiigisclie  Sauunlung,  1744,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  60,  which 
reads,  verbatim,  as  follows : 

"Contract  between  the  Reformed  and  Lutherans  in  Philadelphia 
concerning  the  church  held  in  common  by  them. 

"To  day  has  been  made  an  agreement  between  both  the  German 
congregations,  as  follows,  viz. : 

"The  here  German  Congregation  Reformed  gives  up  to  the 
German  Lutheran  Congregation  one  Part  of  the  House,  which  has 
been  hired  of  Mr.  Hamilton,  for  the  common  use,  and  that  with  this 
Condition,  that  the  said  Lutheran  Congregation  shall  pay  three  Pounds 
out  of  four,  which  is  the  whole  yearly  Rent  due  for  the  said  House 
to  Mr.  Hamilton.  The  Reformed  Congregation  on  the  other  side, 
for  their  fourth  Part  of  the  House,  shall  pay  one  Pound.  Since  this 
Lease  doth  last  yet  19  months,  therefore  the  said  Reformed  Congre- 
gation, will  keep  it  in  her  own  hands,  that,  if  they  should  meet  with 
a  minister  who  would  preach  to  them  twice  a  month.  They,  the 
Lutheran  Congregation,  should  be  obliged  to  resign  their  third  Part 
of  the  Aleeting-House  to  them  again  without  the  least  Hesitation  or 
money. 

"To  the  Confirmation  and  Assurance  of  this  matter  we  made 
two  writings  of  the  same  Tenor  of  which  each  party  has  one. 

"Dated  :   Philadelphia,  1st  of  January  1740/1. 

"Matthew    Schutz, 

"J.^coB  Friederic  Klein, 

"Leonard  Herman^ 

"Philip  Christopher  Warner." 

When  Mr.  Andrew  Hamilton,  Esq.,  died  on  August  4,  1741,  the 
property  passed  into  the  hands  of  his  son-in-law,  Justice  William 
Allen.  The  Reformed  people  worshipped  in  this  building  till  De- 
cember, 1747. 


416  LETTERS  OF  BOEH.M 

less  than  1500  pounds,-'®  which  by  their  own  means  they  could 
do  as  little  as  the  Reformed.  Nevertheless  the  walls  and  roof 
are  actually  finished,  so  that  they  must  have  received  much 
assistance  through  collections;  from  whence  we  do  not  know. 
Likewise  they  have  a  stone  church  in  Providence  township,  of 
50  by  38  feet,  which  is  complete  in  all  respects ;  they  now  have 
four  ministers.  Regarding  the  circumstances  of  one  of  them, 
Muhlenberg  by  name,  I  learn  that  his  people  give  him  what 
they  can,  he  receives  this  on  account,  and  the  remainder  he 
receives  from  London,  whence  he  was  sent  hither.  I  have  no 
acquaintance  with  the  others,  but  it  appears  that  they  prosper. 
It  also  looks  as  if  this  Church,  in  case  we  are  left  without  aid, 
would  be  able  to  do  us  considerable  injury,  for  some  young 
men  are  known  to  me  whom  they  have  won. 

I  and  the  Reformed  officers  of  Philadelphia  addressed  our 
Lord  Proprietor  over  two  years  ago  for  a  plot  of  ground.  He 
consented  and  finally  gave  us  one,  although  within  the  city,  one 
acre  in  extent,  for  50  pounds  sterling,  at  a  yearly  ground 
rent  of  six  shillings,  from  which  he  might  have  realized  as 
much  as  200  pounds,  upon  which  we  now  since  that  time  bury 
our  dead;  before  we  had  to  bury  our  dead  in  a  negro  slave 
cemetery.  But  what  does  this  benefit  us?  The  money  for  the 
land  is  now  bearing  interest,  and  the  congregation  can  scarcely 
raise  from  the  incoming  alms  the  annual  expenses  of  our  meet- 
ing-house and  this  plot  of  ground. 

Regarding  the  congregations  at  Tolpehacken,  the  one  some 
years  ago  bought  100  acres  of  land  and  built  a  small  church 
upon  it  (but  which  is  now  altogether  too  small,  and,  as  I  recol- 
lect, I  have  heard  from  them  that  they  have  a  debt  of  about 
30  pounds  on  land  and  church.  The  other  congregation  at 
Tolpehacken  received  as  a  gift  a  little  piece  of  land  consisting 
of  four  acres,  and  erected  upon  it  a  tolerably  large,  beautiful 
and  well-built  frame  church. -'^^  I  heard,  when  I  was  last  with 
them,  and  for  the  first  time  held  services  in  the  church,  and 
at  the  same  time  celebrated  the  Lord's  Supper,  that  they  owed 

^The  exact  amount  of  the  cost,  according  to  the  Hallesche 
Nachrichten,  new  ed.  Vol.  I,  p.  151,  was  il607,  14s.  9id. 

***  For  the  two  Tulpehocken  churches  and  their  identification  see 
pp.  68,  412. 


LETTER  OF  1744  417 

as  much  as  60  pounds,  although  they  did  not  yet  have  chairs 
or  pews.  Both  these  fine  and  very  loyal  congregations 
well  deserve  to  be  served  and  guided  by  a  godly  and  faithful 
pastor.  In  the  first  congregation  they  have  a  faithful  reader 
and  schoolmaster,  Francis  Layenberger,  who  has  been  thus  far 
a  faithful  watchman  against  the  sects.  I  trust  that,  although 
his  income  is  very  meagre,  he  may  yet  be  able  to  stay  for  a 
while.  In  the  second  congregation  one  of  the  elders  is  reader, 
and  thus  they  continue  their  religious  services  in  the  fear  of 
God,  living  in  good  hope  that  God  will  graciously  help  them. 

Of  Canastocka  I  cannot  say  much,  since  for  a  long  time 
I  have  not  conducted  the  services  among  them.  For  some  time 
they  accepted  any  one  they  could  get,  and  now  they  have 
nobody.  There  are  at  present  three  congregations.  In  the 
new  city  of  Lancaster  they  had  last  John  Barth.  Rieger,  but 
because  he  had  always  had  very  much  intercourse  with  all 
sorts  of  people  and  all  sorts  of  sects,  they  took  an  aversion  to 
him.  Toward  the  end  of  last  year  Count  Zinzendorf  attended 
his  church,  of  whom  he  made  very  much,  and  took  him  into  his 
house.  On  the  next  Sunday  his  sermon  (as  I  have  heard  in 
truth)  was  nothing  but  a  glorifying  and  praising  of  the  piety 
and  doctrines  of  the  Moravian  brethren.  It  also  happened 
that  he  (Rieger)  and  Zinzendorf  were  present  at  the  house  of  a 
certain  man,  Jacob  Baurle;-^°  there  the  Count  said  he  must 
hasten  to  Philadelphia,  for  court  was  now  in  session  there,  and 
as  surely  as  his  name  was  Count  Zinzendorf  he  would  see  to 
it  that  four  men  should  hang,  and  nothing  could  save  them 
but  the  king's  mercy.  (This  arose  from  the  fact  that  Count 
Zinzendorf  had  made  the  Lutherans  at  Philadelphia  believe 
that  he  was  a  Lutheran  minister,  whereupon  they  took  this 

""John  Adam  Gruber,  a  resident  of  Germantown,  tells  this  inci- 
dent, as  follows,  in  his  "Elaborate  Report"  in  Fresenius,  Nachrichten, 
Vol.  Ill,  p.  220:  "When  he  [Zinzendorf]  had  preached  in  the  new 
city  at  Canastoka,  and  at  table,  in  the  presence  of  Rev.  Mr.  Rieger 
and  a  man  named  Baierlin,  spoke  of  the  tumult  in  Philadelphia,  Mr. 
Ludwig  [Zinzendorf]  struck  with  his  hand  upon  his  breast  and  said : 
'As  truly  as  I  am  and  have  been  born  a  Count.  I  shall  see  to  it  that 
some  (namely  those  who  led  Mr.  Pirleus  out  of  the  church)  will  be 
exemplarily  punished  by  the  Court,  and  if  I  cannot  get  any  satisfac- 
tion here  I  shall  appeal  to  the  King  of  England,  that  two  or  three  of 
them  be  hung.' " 

27 


418  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

Count  for  their  preacher).  Afterwards  he  installed  one  of  his 
creatures,  named  Pyrlaeus;  then  they  discovered  his  cunning 
tricks,  and  thrust  the  same,  with  the  aid  of  the  Reformed  (but 
I  was  not  present)  out  of  the  meeting-house,  which  they  had 
in  common. 

For  these  words  a  lawyer  of  Philadelphia  caused  Jacob 
Bauerle  to  be  summoned  by  the  court  at  Lancaster  (I  have  this 
from  the  lawyer's  own  mouth).  And  now  when  Rieger,  who 
was  present,  was  also  made  to  give  testimony,  he  excused  him- 
self by  saying,  "he  had  not  heard  it".  (I  have  heard  this  only 
recently  from  the  above  mentioned  Jacob  Bauerle's  own 
mouth)  which,  added  to  other  grievances,  induced  the  people 
to  get  rid  of  him,  which  they  could  readily  do,  as  he  was 
engaged  by  them  on  certain  conditions.  Thereupon  Rieger 
went  away  from  here,^^^  but  his  wife  and  children  are  still 
here.  What  has  become  of  him  I  do  not  know,  but  it  is  said 
here  that  he  has  written  to  his  brother  from  Leyden,  in  Hol- 
land. 

The  surrounding  congregations,  around  or  near  Canas- 
tocka,  have  long  ago  taken  up  with  a  man,  Conrad  Tempel- 
man  by  name  (he  is  from  Heidelberg)  a  tailor  by  trade,  and 
have  made  the  same  their  minister.  I  know  him,  for  he  was 
schoolmaster  and  reader  in  the  Hill  church  when  I  served  them 
at  the  beginning.  Of  the  same  I  noticed  at  the  time  nothing 
wrong  in  his  life  or  conduct,  and  since  have  heard  of  him 
nothing  but  what  was  praiseworthy,  especially  that  he  is  very 
watchful  against  the  sects,  and  that  his  congregations  are  very 
much  united. 

Regarding  the  congregation  at  Goschenhoppen,  it  has  a 
suitable  frame  church  upon  a  piece  of  land  consisting  of  50 

**'  In  1743  Rieger  went  to  Holland  to  study  medicine.  On  March 
22,  1744,  he  matriculated  at  Leyden.  O'n  October  7,  1743.  the  Clerk 
of  the  Classis  of  Amsterdam  was  instructed  to  write  to  Rieger  and 
to  ask  him  to  give  an  account  of  the  Church  of  Pennsylvania  to  the 
Qassis.  On  November  5,  1743,  Rieger  appeared  personally  before  the 
Classis  and  promised  to  send  in  a  report  regarding  the  Church  in 
Pennsylvania.  The  report  of  Rieger  was  received  April  13,  1744. 
Rieger  returned  to  Pennsylvania  about  May,  1745.  About  Rieger's  visit 
to  Holland  see  Ecclesiastical  Records  of  N.  Y.,  Vol.  IV,  pp.  2812,  2823, 
2845. 


LETTER  OF   1744  419 

acres,  donated  by  some  one-^'  that  all  religions  and  sects 
should  have  the  privilege  of  building  a  church  thereon,  and  I 
lately  learned  from  an  elder  of  theirs  that  the  church  is  paid 
for.  Two  years  ago  four  of  them  bought  a  plot.  They  intended 
to  hand  it  over  to  the  congregation  for  a  parsonage  if  they 
were  reimbursed  for  their  outlay.  How  much  it  costs  I  do 
not  know.  This  congregation  up  to  this  time  has  claimed  the 
privilege  accorded  to  them  in  the  letter  which  Reiflf  had  when 
he  returned  from  his  collecting  tour,  and  purported  to  be 
written  by  his  Reverence,  Doctor  Wilhelmi,  of  Rotterdam 
(whereof  a  copy  may  be  found  among  the  Pennsylvania  papers). 
Hence  they  will  not  submit  to  any  church  order.  And  no  mat- 
ter how  much  I  may  admonish  them,  they  remain  of  the  same 
mind.  They  had  taken  young  Goetschi  to  be  their  pastor,  but 
when  Do.  Dorsius  arrived  he  withdrew  from  them,  went  to 
him,  studied  a  year  with  him,  and  after  this  year  he  was 
ordained  as  a  minister  for  Long  Island,  in  the  month  of  April, 
1741,  by  Mr.  Dorsius,  assisted  by  Do.  Frelinghuysen  of  Raritan, 
and  still  another  (as  I  learned  afterwards),  Tennant  by 
name,^^'  of  whom  it  was  said  at  that  time  that  he  was  one  of 
the  Whitfielders.  Meanwhile,  since  Goetschi  was  no  longer 
with  them.  Do.  Dorsius  has  several  times  administered  the 
Lord's  Supper  to  this  people  before  his  journey  to  Holland. 
As  I  learned  on  Tuesday  after  last  Easter  at  Goschenhoppen 
from  a  ruling  elder,  it  is  arranged  that  he  shall  again  admin- 
ister it  to  them  in  the  month  of  May  next  coming.  On  this 
Tuesday  after  Easter,  when  I  happened  to  come  to  Goschen- 
hoppen, I  found  this  among  them :  On  Good  Friday  they  had 
allowed  the  base  deceiver,  Jacob  Lischy,  to  preach  in  their 
church,  who  at  the  same  time  baptized  two  children.  When  I 
represented  to  two  elders,  who  were  together  on  this  Tuesday 
after  Easter,  the  impropriety  of  this  act  in  the  presence  of 

'^  The  land  for  the  New  Goshenhoppen  church  was  donated  by 
John  Henry  Sprogell,  before  the  year  1729.  Failing  to  get  a  deed 
from  him  the  congregation  was  compelled,  in  1749,  to  buy  the  land 
from  his  heirs.  This  appears  from  a  survey  made  of  the  land  by  David 
Schultze,  in  May,  1769. 

^'  It  was  Gilbert  Tennent,  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
at  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  who  was  associated  in  his  work  with  Frel- 
inghuysen.   See  Eccl.  Records  of  N.  ¥.,  Vol.  IV,  pp.  2557,  25C9,  2587f. 


420  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

several  people,  in  having  permitted  a  Moravian  to  do  such 
thing's,  they  answered  me,  that  they  themselves  had  held  it  up 
to  him,  but  he  had  protested  with  an  oath  and  called  upon 
God  to  forsake  him  if  he  were  a  Moravian.  He  claimed  to 
be  a  Reformed  preacher  from  Switzerland.  Then  I  showed 
them  his  Moravian  hymn  book,  entitled  "Shepherd  Songs  of 
Bethlehem,  for  the  use  of  all  who  are  poor  and  humble",^^* 
which  before  this  was  his  own  pocket  hymn  book,  and  had  come 
into  my  hands  in  a  wonderful  but  honorable  way,  in  which  he 
had  written  his  name  with  his  own  hand;  when  they  com- 
pared the  letter  which  he  had  written  to  them  with  it  and  saw 
that  it  was  his  own  hand-writing,  they  realized  his  wicked  con- 
duct; the  more  so  because  when  they  told  him  that  I  had  this 
little  book,  he  denied  it  was  his,  saying  that  he  knew  nothing 
of  the  book,  that  others  could  easily  write  his  name  in  a  book; 
he  could  not  prevent  that,  and  that  for  this  reason  he  had  long 
regarded  me  as  a  treacherous  Boehm,  of  whom  he  had  heard 
before  in  Holland,  etc.  Then  they  acted  as  if  they  were  sorry. 
But  one  among  them,  Michael  Radner,  confessed  that  it  was 
his  fault  alone  that  Lischy  had  come  into  the  church.  Where- 
upon I  took  my  departure.  The  next  day  I  spoke  with  another 
ruling  elder,  who  was  not  present  the  day  before.  This  one 
said  to  me  with  a  sad  heart,  almost  with  tears;  "But  what 
shall  we  do?  Mr.  Dorsius  has  told  us  we  should  not  think 
that  we  could  get  ministers  from  Holland.  We  should  our- 
selves see  to  it  what  was  to  be  done.  The  Hollanders  had  said : 
"What  do  the  Pennsylvanians  imagine  themselves  to  be?  They 
live  in  a  free  country,  have  nothing  to  pay  to  any  royal  court, 
yet  want  to  give  but  lo  pounds  in  such  a  large  congregation 
to  a  minister;  then  we  cannot  provide  them  with  ministers", 
etc.  Nevertheless,  I  admonished  them  to  remain  steadfast  in 
prayer,  and  without  being  discouraged   to   wait  upon  God's 

**The  German  title  of  this  hymn  book  reads:  Hirten-Lieder 
von  Bethlehem,  enthaltend  cine  Kleine  Sammhmg  evangelischer  Lieder 
ziini  Gebrauch  von  Allcs  zvas  arm  ist,  was  Klein  und  gering  ist,  Ger- 
mantown.  Christopher  Saur,  1742,  12  mo.,  128  pp.,  index  10  pp.  It 
is  a  collection  of  three  hundred  and  ninety-six  hymns,  which  were 
printed  by  Christopher  Saur  for  Count  Zinzendorf  soon  after  his 
arrival  in  Pennsylvania.  See  Seidensticker,  First  Century  of  German 
Printing,  Philadelphia,  1893,  p.  15. 


LETTER  OF  1744  421 

favor.  As  for  me,  I  felt  assured  that  if  our  devout  Church 
Fathers  desired  to  admonish  us  and  were  displeased  about 
anything,  they  would  not  thus  rudely  present  it,  but  speak  of  it 
in  an  amicable  and  friendly  manner,  becoming  to  servants  of 
God.  But  according  to  my  expectations  the  affairs  of  our 
church  would  take  quite  a  different  turn  under  the  providence 
of  God  and  His  guidance,  etc.    And  thus  we  separated. 

Lastly,  the  congregation  at  Germantown.  This  is  in  a  sad 
state,  as  regards  loyalty  to  our  true  Reformed  doctrine.  Yet 
many  years  ago  they  built  a  handsome  stone  church,  on  which 
there  is  quite  a  debt.  But  in  spite  of  all  our  admonitions, 
warnings  and  prayers  they  constantly  permitted  every 
errorist  to  associate  with  them.  For  when  Barth.  Rieger,  who, 
when  he  served  Philadelphia,  also  preached  for  them  occa- 
sionally, had  left  them,  they  allowed  John  Bechtel  to  preach 
constantly  to  them,  whom  I  plainly  enough  described  to  them 
in  my  first  and  second  Letter  of  Warning.  Thus  also  old 
Samuel  Guldi,-^^  who  according  to  his  own  statement,  was 
minister  in  the  three  principal  churches  in  Bern,  Switzerland 
(whence  he  was  dismissed  on  account  of  his  pietism  and  came 
to  this  country),  has  often  preached  there.  Meanwhile  they 
also  consented  to  have  a  sectarian  crowd  gather  there  every 
Sunday  afternoon,  of  whom  one  had  been  before  an  Inspira- 
tionist,  another  a  Pietist,  Separatist,  and  whatever  other  kinds 
might  be  mentioned.  These  then  assembled  in  the  church, 
selected  a  passage  of  the  Bible,  and  then  disputed  about  it. 
But  they  allowed  no  one  to  compare  Scripture  with  Scripture, 
but  were  of  the  opinion  that  every  question  could  be  decided 
by  every  one's  conviction.  The  vulgar  called  these  people 
Disputants,  but  they  called  themselves  The  Free  Assembly. 
Nevertheless  these  antics  soon  amounted  to  nothing. 

After  this  they  let  Count  Zinzendorf  and  his  Moravians 
take  possession  of  the  church,  who  preached  there  awhile,  and 
the  turner  John  BechteP^^  was  one  of  his  worst  proselyters. 
But  since  this  Count  Zinzendorf  got  into  confusing  quarrels 
and  contentions  with  those  Separatists,  who  came  down  on  him 

'^  For  a  sketch  of  Rev.  Samuel  Guldin  see  note  132,  p.  107 ;  also 
p.  274. 

^^For  a  sketch  of  the  life  and  work  of  John  Bechtel  see  pp. 
115-119. 


422  LETTERS  OF  BOEH.M 

too  hard,  he  left  this  congregation  of  Germantown  to  his  brother, 
John  Bechtel,  went  away  and  returned  to  Philadelphia.  Then 
these  thoughtless  people  permitted  themselves  to  be  led  astray 
by  this  Bechtel  through  his  hypocritical  and  smooth  words, 
since  he  pretended  that  he  would  in  the  future  adhere  to  the 
Reformed  doctrine,  and  he  brought  it  by  means  of  his  sectarian 
creatures  so  far  among  them  that,  on  his  promise  henceforth 
to  adhere  to  the  Heidelberg  Catechism  in  its  purity  in  all  its 
points,  they  engaged  him  on  January  27,  1743,  for  a  year,  as 
their  pastor,  giving  him  a  testimonial  thereof  in  writing.  But 
hardly  a  week  afterwards  he  wanted  a  paper  signed  by  four 
officers  in  the  congregation,  in  which  he  excepted  the  eightieth 
and  the  one  hundred  and  fourteenth  questions.  On  being 
asked  why,  he  replied :  The  eightieth  question  was  unnecessary 
in  this  country  and  the  one  hundred  and  fourteenth  (he  said) 
was  not  true  because  those  who  were  converted  no  longer  com- 
mitted sin,  and  not  only  could  keep  the  commandments  of  God, 
but  it  was  very  easy  for  them  to  do  so.  Whereupon  the 
largest  part  of  the  congregation  opposed  him  all  the  more,  but 
however  they  might  try  to  induce  him  (to  leave),  he  had  their 
paper,  and  they  had  to  get  along  with  him  that  year. 

During  that  year  he  meanwhile  established  himself  firmly 
with  his  Moravians  in  the  church.  They  built  a  gallery  in  it, 
bought  an  organ  for  60  pounds  and  put  it  on  the  gallery,  in- 
tending by  means  of  these  heavy  expenses — since  the  Reformed 
were  so  far  back  in  their  payments  and  unable  to  pay — in  this 
way  to  get  this  church  under  the  control  of  the  Moravians. 
For  this  purpose  they  also  offered  to  furnish  the  money.  But 
when  the  year  agreed  upon  was  up,  on  January  27,  1744,  they 
obtained  control  of  the  church  and  got  rid  of  Bechtel,  whom 
they  dismissed.  But  the  costs  of  the  alterations  and  the  organ 
had  to  be  refunded.  How  they  were  able  to  do  this  I  cannot 
imagine. 

Meanwhile  if  these  people  had  a  loyal  disposition,  upon 
which  we  could  rely,  and  if  that  congregation  would  let  itself 
be  governed  according  to  church  order,  it  would  be  of  great 
importance  to  offer  assistance.  But  I  have  not  yet  been  able  to 
find  the  necessary  requisities  among  them.  For  when  they  were 
now  rid  of  Bechtel,  on  the  next  Sunday  thereafter  nearly  all  the 
Reformed  people  in  the  vicinity,  from  far  and  near,  came  to- 


LETTER  OF  1744  423 

gether  (most  of  the  Weitmarsch  people  were  also  there)  to 
consult  in  what  manner  the  best  and  most  suitable  measures 
might  be  taken  that  this  congregation  be  brought  into  a  good 
condition.  At  this  time  (according  to  the  testimony  of  the  elder 
from  Weitmarsch,  William  De  Wees)  not  a  single  member  was 
present  who  did  not  vote  for  this,  to  call  me  also  at  Germantown 
as  their  regular  pastor,  under  the  same  conditions  as  mentioned 
in  the  enclosed  letter  C,  on  page  6,  regarding  the  little  Weit- 
marsch congregation,'^^  that  both  these  congregations  be 
brought  under  our  Church  Order  and  be  combined.  But  be- 
cause one  ought  to  deal  very  cautiously  with  such  people,  it 
happened  that  on  February  20th  last,  as  in  passing  I  conversed 
with  one,  named  Minck  [Meng],  at  his  house  in  Germantown 
about  these  matters.  I  gave  him  this  as  my  resolution :  That 
I  was  very  glad  that  it  had  finally  come  so  far,  and  that  when- 
ever they  would  come  and  place  themselves  under  our  ordinances 
and  enter  into  our  Christian  communion,  wherein  already  stood 
the  Weitmarsch  congregation,  whose  regular  minister  of  God's 
Word  I  was,  I  would  with  all  my  heart  and  gladly  serve  them, 
and,  until  God  would  be  pleased  to  send  from  elsewhere  other 
aid,  would  help  them,  to  the  best  of  my  ability,  in  conducting 
their  religious  services.  And  if  they  would  agree  to  this  then 
I  would  expect  from  the  congregation,  or  from  their  elders  in 
their  name,  a  written  certificate  thereof,  mentioning  whatever 
they  desired  me  to  do.  Whereupon  I  in  return  would  likewise 
let  them  have  my  answer  in  my  own  writing.  In  answer  to 
which  this  Minck  replied,  this  shall  be  done ;  which,  however, 
they  did  not  carry  out.  And  it  seems  that  the  thought  to  be  in 
subjection  to  church  order,  when  every  one  is  not  permitted  to 
act  in  everything  arbitrarily  and  according  to  his  own  pleasure, 
was  not  agreeable  to  some.  These  then,  acting  on  their  own 
authority,  on  March  nth,  allowed  a  vagrant  to  preach  in  their 
church,  a  locksmith  by  trade,  living  at  Raritan,  but  who,  as  if  he 
were  a  country  apostle,  travels  everywhere  through  the  land 
to  preach ;  and  thus  they  acted  simply  on  their  own  authority, 

'*'This  statement  is  found  in  Boehm's  report  of  1740,  sent  to  the 
Classis,  of  which  he  enclosed  a  duplicate  to  the  Synods  in  1744.  It 
is  at  The  Hague,  74,  I,  27.  The  passage  is  printed  above,  p.  296.  See 
also  p.  298,  paragraph  II. 


424  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

without  their  four  chosen  elders  knowing  anything  about  it, 
much  less  appointing  it  or  consenting  to  it,  which  I  have  learned 
from  the  mouth  of  some  of  these  four  men,  and  I  also  ascer- 
tained their  displeasure  at  such  proceedings.  This  act  does  not 
appear  to  be  of  a  more  encouraging  nature  than  the  previous 
acceptance  of  Bechtel ;  the  more  so  as  Bechtel  when  preaching 
towards  the  end  of  his  year  one  Sunday  morning  announced  at 
the  conclusion  of  the  service  that  in  the  afternoon  just  this 
locksmith  (who  was  present)  would  preach,  which  also  took 
place.  From  which  one  can  readily  judge  that  this  man  and 
Bechtel  are  about  of  the  same  sort  and  played  together  under 
the  same  cover.  Finally,  before  Easter,  they  also  went  to 
Neshaminy  and  asked  Do.  Dorsius  to  preach  for  them,  and 
hence  on  Easter  Sunday  he  preached  at  Germantown. 

Do.  Dorsius  has  also  promised  the  people  at  New^  Goschen- 
hoppen  to  administer  the  Lord's  Supper  there  on  IMay  6th, 
and  that  on  the  7th  he  would  be  at  Old  Goschenhoppen, 
situated  about  four  miles  from  Schipbach,  where  the  Lutheran 
and  Reformed  people  wish  to  build  a  union  church  (whereby 
again  some  members  will  be  drawn  away  from  Schipbach,  for 
until  now  this  district  had  belonged  to  Schipbach)  and  on  May 
7th  he  will  lay  the  cornerstone.  On  this  occasion  the  Lu- 
theran preacher  (Andres'^®  by  name,  and  Do.  Dorsius  are  each 
to  preach  a  sermon.  Do.  Dorsius  asked  said  Lutheran  pastor 
to  announce  this  from  his  pulpit  for  the  benefit  of  his  Lutheran 
congregation,  which  he  did  on  April  8th.  Afterwards  I  was 
told  by  some  of  my  elders  who  were  present  that  the  Lutheran 
minister  said  distinctly:  "Rev.  Inspector  Dorsius  will  ad- 
minister the  Lord's  Supper  on  May  6th  at  New  Goschen- 
hoppen for  the  Reformed  people,  and  on  the  7th  ditto  at  the 
laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  the  union  church  at  Old  Goschen- 
hoppen, he  as  well  as  myself  (the  Lutheran  Pastor)  will  preach 
the  first  sermon",  which  words  a  certain  man,  who  had  heard 
them,  told  me  with  astonishment  in  my  home  on  the  i6th  of 
April. 

""This  was  John  Conrad  Andreae,  who,  from  1743-1750,  was 
pastor  of  the  Lutheran  congregation  of  Old  Goshenhoppen,  New 
Goshenhoppen  and  Indian  Field.  He  died  January  1,  1754,  at  German- 
town.     See  Hallesche  Nachrichten,  new  ed.,  Vol.  I,  p.  265f. 


LETTER  OF  1744  425 

What  all  these  things  mean, — to  foster  the  spirit  of  inde- 
pendence in  congregations  which  with  difficulty  allow  them- 
selves to  be  brought  under  church  order;  and  to  make  no 
attempt  to  lead  them  to  something  more  edifying  and  whole- 
some, and  what  consequences  this  will  cause  in  the  future, — all 
this  time  alone  will  show. 

April  20,  1744.  J.  P.  BoEHM. 

P.  S.  On  May  6th,  Do.  Dorsius  administered  the  Lord's 
Supper  at  New  Goshenhoppen ;  several  persons  from  Falckner 
Schwam  communed  there  without  saying  anything. 

On  May  7th,  the  corner-stone-^''  of  the  above  mentioned 
union  church  was  to  be  laid ;  a  considerable  number  of  people 
were  present,  but  the  day  was  rainy.  Do.  Dorsius  did  not 
come.  It  was  then  postponed  till  Whit  Monday,  May  14th,  old 
style.  Do.  Dorsius  again  did  not  come.  But  an  elder  of  New 
Goschenhoppen  was  appointed  to  represent  Do.  Dorsius  and 
thus  the  work  was  accomplished. 

July  7,  1744.  BoEHM. 

(On  Sunday,  July  8th,  Do.  Dorsius  was  at  Canastocka). 

^**  This    cornerstone    has    a    most    interesting    Latin    inscription, 
which  reads  verbatim  and  literatim : 
LIberaLItas  pLebIs 
LVtheran.5  atqVe 
rEfor]\L\t.e   has   ^Des 
Vna  eXstrVXIt. 
L  C.  ANDREW  PAST.  LVTH. 
Translated  literally  it  reads : 

The  liberality  of  the  people 
Lutheran  and  also 
Reformed  erected 
Unitedly  this  temple. 
L   C.  Andreae,   Lutheran   Pastor. 
The  unique  feature  of  this  inscription  is  its  use  of  capitals  or 
larger  letters,  found  throughout  the  first  four  lines.     By  these  larger 
letters  the  date  of  the  cornerstone  laying  is  given,  as  can  be  seen  from 
the   following: 

Line  1.    LI  +  LI  +  LI    153 

"     2.    L  +  V  +  V  60 

"     3.    M4-D   1500 

"     4.    V  +  X-f-V4-XI     31 

Total   1744 

It  was  most  likely  the  Lutheran  pastor  who  used  this  ingenious 
method  to  indicate  the  date  of  the  cornerstone  laying. 


426  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

[XXXIX.    MR.  BOEHM  TO  THE  DEPUTIES  OF  THE  SYNODS, 
JULY  9,  1744."^] 

Very  Reverend  Sirs,  Very  Learned  and  Much  Honored  Messrs. 

Deputies: — 

The  Reverend  Gentlemen  will  learn  from  all  the  true 
reports  (and  otherwise)  concerning  the  High  German  Re- 
formed Church  in  Pennsylvania,  its  miserable  and  very  needy 
and  poor  condition.  And,  as  your  humble  servant  and  least 
fellow-brother  in  Christ  firmly  believes  you,  as  true  servants  of 
God,  will  commiserate  with  hearty  sighs  us,  poor  members  of 
the  body  of  Christ. 

This  our  cause  may  have  been  presented  ever  so  wrongly 
by  a  known  or  unknown  man,  through  writing  or  orally,  yet 
the  merciful  God  will  finally,  after  much  sighing,  come  to  the 
rescue  of  His  true  Church  in  this  as  yet  deplorable  land  of 
ours.  He  will  bring  to  light  the  unfaithfulness  of  every  one 
as  well  as  the  faithfulness  of  his  faithful  ones,  and  by  His 
incomprehensible  providence  will  finally  refresh  us  with  com- 
fort and  help,  for  His  name's  sake. 

That  everything  in  all  our  submissive  reports,  sent  by  my 
beloved  fellow-brethren  and  by  myself,  was  reported  truth- 
fully, in  accordance  with  our  duty  as  before  God,  purposing 
to  seek  the  honor  of  our  God  and  the  welfare  of  our  churches 
here,  I,  your  obedient  servant  wish  to  assure  you  herewith 
before  God,  by  virtue  of  the  duties  resting  upon  me.  Your 
servant  is  likewise  compelled  to  present  humbly  to  your  Rev- 
erences his  own  need  and  to  commend  himself  to  your  Rever- 
ences' hallowed  care,  as  men  of  God  who  can  do  much  in  this 
respect.  For  the  almost  unbearable  toil  and  labor,  which  your 
poor  fellow-servant  has  in  the  office  which  was  pressed  upon 
him,  will  be  sufficiently  evident  to  your  Reverences  from 
everything.  It  is  now  more  than  eighteen  years  that  his 
travels,  only  to  his  regular  [preaching]  places,  amounted  to 
104  English  miles  every  month.  In  addition  he  had  to  per- 
form the  duties  of  his  office  and  for  this  he  received  no  fixed 
salary  thus  far.  but  he  can  affirm,  without  violating  his  con- 

'""The  German  original  is  in  the  archives  at  The  Hague.     The 
catalogue  number  is  74,  I,  37. 


LETTER  OF   1744  427 

science,  that  he  does  not  believe,  if  he  counts  the  years  and 
the  income,  that  he  has  received  more  than  ten  pounds  yearly. 
(The  perquisites  for  weddings  are  excluded).  This  is  because 
of  the  inability  of  the  generally  poor  people  and  our  cause  is 
not  on  a  firm  basis ;  and  the  ninnerous  wicked  sects,  especially 
the  Herrnhuters,  would  make  excellent  use  of  it  to  lead  astray 
the  simple  souls,  if  one  should  ask  a  fixed  and  sufficient  salary 
from  such  poor  people.  Therefore  your  servant  has  been 
patient  in  everything,  from  the  beginning  until  now,  so  that 
our  Church  might  grow;  and  he  has  eaten  his  own  bread, 
which  he  has  earned  by  the  work  of  his  hands,  with  the 
blessing  of  God,  and  has  lived  in  his  own  simple  cabin. 

But  since  my  best  years,  in  regard  to  the  body,  have  been 
devoted  to  this  work,  and  now  inability  approaches,  and  I  am 
not  able  to  cease  from  my  work  with  a  good  conscience,  since 
I  see  no  other  help,  I  grow  indeed  timid.  Yet  I  have  the  firm 
belief  and  the  assured  hope  that  the  Lord  our  God  will  pro- 
vide, and  that  He  will  now  incline  your  kind  hearts  to  the 
least  of  your  servants  and  poor  fellow-laborers  and  to  his  dear 
congregations,  so  that  they  may  be  supported  in  their  need 
by  your  much  availing  intercession,  for  which  he  herewith 
beseeches  you  humbly  for  Jesus'  sake. 

Commending  your  Reverences,  each  of  your  reverend  per- 
sons, families  and  holy  service  to  God  and  the  Word  of  His 
grace,  I  am  and  remain, 

Your  submissive  servant  and  least 

fellow-brother  in  the  Lord  Jesus, 

JoHAN  Philips  Boehm, 
Reformed  Minister  in  Pennsylvania,  in  Phila- 
delphia County,  at  Falckner  Schwam,  Schipbach 
and  Weitmarsch. 
Witpen  Township, 
Philadelphia  County, 

Pennsylvania,  July  9,  1744. 

P.  S.  Letters  which  you  may  desire  to  send,  may  be 
addressed  in  care  of  Mr.  Caspar  Ullrich,  Baker  in  Philadel- 
phia. 


428  LETTERS  OF  BOEHAI 

[XL.    MR.  BOEHM  TO  THE  CLASSIS  OF  AMSTERDAM,  NO- 
VEMBER 23,  1746.'°'] 

Very  Reverend  Classis,  Much  Esteemed  and  Devout  Church 
Fathers: — 

The  Very  Reverend  Classis  will  have  learned  sufficiently 
from  all  our  submissive  reports,  which  have  been  made,  in 
conjunction  with  my  fellow-brethren  and  elders,  not  only  the 
weakness  of  the  Reformed  congregations  in  this  land,  but 
also  my  unbearable  labor,  toil  and  sorrow  which  I  had  to 
undergo.  Without  doubt  you  felt  compassion  in  your  hearts 
for  me,  as  I  have  borne  all  these  things  for  a  voluntary  and 
but  small  remuneration,  and  as  I  have  prayed  incessantly  to 
Almighty  God  to  give  us,  according  to  His  eternal  love  and 
mercy,  such  means  as  might  help  His  true  Church  after  such 
continued  supplications. 

Now  we  see  that,  after  the  dear  Lord  has  made  us  to 
pass  through  such  a  severe  trial,  He  will  finally  manifest  His 
grace  in  answer  to  our  continual  prayers  and  will  strongly 
incline  the  hearts  of  our  devout  Church  Fathers  to  us,  poor 
members  of  Christ.  For  you  have  now  sent  to  us  a  man, 
brought  from  a  great  distance  and  with  great  sacrifices  for 
the  best  interests  only  and  the  perfect  establishment  of  our 
true  Church,  in  order  to  supply  the  same  with  a  sufficient  num- 
ber of  faithful  ministers,  the  name  of  the  reverend  gentleman 
being  Michael   Slatter.^''^ 

His  Reverence  arrived  in  Philadelphia  on  the  25th  of 
August  of  this  year.  He  visited  me  soon  afterwards,  on  the 
27th  ditto,  at  my  home,  with  two  members  of  the  congrega- 
tion at  Philadelphia.  He  showed  me  at  that  time  first  of  all 
his  instructions,  dated  The  Hague,  May  28,  1746,  from  the 
two  Christian  Synods  of  South  and  North  Holland.  He  read 
the  same  to  me  word  for  word  and  then  gave  them  into  my 
hands  for  several  days.  I  found  them  so  emphatic  that  I 
could  not  have  the  least  doubt  that  the  Reverend  Christian 
Synods  know  the  fitness  of  Do.  Slatter  for  this  important  un- 

""  The  original  German  letter  is  at  The  Hague,  74,  I,  43. 

'"^Schlatter  reached  Philadelphia  September  6,  1746  (or  August 
26th,  o.  St.).  He  visited  Boehm  immediately  on  the  next  day.  See 
Schlatter's  Life,  p.  127, 


LETTER  OF   174G  429 

dertaking,  for  his  instructions  are  signed  by  six  venerable  men, 
as  deputies  of  the  Reverend  Synods.  All  of  this  cannot  be 
unknown  to  the  Reverend  Classis.  I  rejoiced  heartily  over  it 
and  felt  bound  by  my  conscience  to  comply  with  it  obediently 
and  to  contribute  to  it,  according  to  my  ability,  so  that  I  might 
help  to  advance  this  work  of  the  Lord. 

Do.  Slatter  entered  upon  this  work  with  earnestness  and 
soon  traveled  from  one  place  to  another,  as  much  as  time 
would  permit.  To  some  of  these  places  I  accompanied  his 
Reverence.  How  he  succeeded  at  each  place  to  which  he 
traveled  is  laid  before  you  at  length  in  his  report,  already 
sent  to  the  Reverend  Christian  Synods  and  the  Reverend 
Classis  of  Amsterdam.^°^ 

Since  the  year  1740,  that  is  six  years  ago,  when  I  speci- 
fied and  grouped  for  the  Reverend  Classis  all  the  places  known 
to  me,  at  the  request  of  Do.  Dorsius  (which  report  I  sent 
faithfully  during  the  same  year  to  the  Reverend  Classis),^"* 
the  country  has  increased  and  changed  very  much.  Hence  it 
is  necessary  to  group  the  congregations  differently.  Do.  Slat- 
ter has  carefully  noted  this  and  recognized  its  necessity  because 
of  the  wolves,  which  have  increased  since  that  time  and  are 
still  increasing,  going  about  through  the  flock  of  Christ.  Hence 
he  has  recognized  it  to  be  indispensably  necessary  that  the 
divine  services  be  held  more  frequently  than  I  believed  to  be 
sufficient  at  that  time.  He  is  now  arranging  everything  with 
a  view  to  the  best  interests  and  the  establishment  of  the 
Church.  His  Reverence  is  also  pleased  to  use  my  humble  ad- 
vice in  such  matters. 

What  places  or  congregations  his  Reverence  will  further 
seek  out  and  organize,  will  appear  next  spring,  the  Lord  will- 
ing and  we  still  living. 

However,  I  consider  it  my  submissive  obligation  and  duty 
to  report  to  the  Reverend  Classis  what  plans  have  been  con- 
sidered with  regard  to  my  congregations,  which  are  subordi- 
nate to  the  Reverend  Classis  and  which  I  have  served  hitherto 

""'The  first  report  of  Schlatter,  dated  December  15,  1746,  was 
published  by  the  writer  in  the  Journal  of  the  Presb.  Hist.  Soc,  Vol. 
Ill,  pp.  105-121;   158-176. 

*"  See  pp.  ^2-284,  and  also  pp.  285-298. 


430  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

with  great  difficulty,  but  according  to  my  ability,  in  conformity 
to  the  Church  Order  established  by  the  Reverend  Classis. 

The  poor  but  numerous  and  well  organized  congregation 
at  Falckner  Schwam  is  twenty  miles  from  my  home.  I  have 
served  it  21  years  once  a  month,  but  it  becomes  very  burden- 
some to  me  to  continue  this  any  longer. 

There  is,  however,  a  new  congregation  at  Providentz,^"^ 
about  eight  miles  from  the  former,  of  which  I  have  made  men- 
tion before.  It  is  indispensably  necessary  to  organize  it,  hence 
Do.  Slatter  is  willing  to  connect  it  with  the  congregation  at 
Falckner  Schwam  and  to  organize  a  charge  with  these  two 
congregations. 

The  congregation  at  Schipbach,  as  I  have  complained 
repeatedly  to  the  Reverend  Classis,  has  been  so  scattered  by 
past  divisions  that,  according  to  all  appearance,  there  is  no 
more  hope  of  maintaining  a  congregation  there.  The  few 
members  of  the  upper  part  of  this  congregation  can  go  con- 
veniently to  Old  Goschenhoppen,  where  Do.  Weis  is  the  regu- 
lar minister. 

The  congregation  of  Weitmarge,  which  at  all  times  con- 
sisted of  but  few  members,  through  the  death  of  the  aged, 
faithful  elder,  William  De  Wees,  has  come  to  a  standstilP"^ 
(because  his  house  was  at  all  times  our  church,  but  since  his 
death  it  can  be  so  no  longer,  nor  is  there  any  opportunity  to 
worship  elsewhere,  much  less  are  there  the  means  to  build  a 
church).  The  lower  part  of  the  congregation  has  gone  to  Ger- 
mantown,  which  will  serve  to  strengthen  the  congregation 
there,  in  like  manner  as  that  at  Old  Goschenhoppen. 

The  congregation  at  Philadelphia,  which  submitted  in  the 
year  1734  to  the  Church  Order,  established  by  the  Reverend 
Classis  (as  is  well  known  to  the  Reverend  Classis  and  which 
being  carefully  sent  over,  will  be  found  among  the  Pennsyl- 
vania papers),  I  have  served  monthly,  according  to  the  Church 
Order,  as  their  regular  minister,  accepted  by  them,  and  I  have 
promised  them  to  maintain  this  service  until  something  else 
will  be  ordered  by  the  Reverend  Church  Fathers  in  Holland, 

'"  St.  Luke's  Reformed  Church,  at  Trappe,  Providence  Town- 
ship, Montgomery  County. 

*°*  Boehm  meant  to  say  that  it  has  been  discontinued. 


LETTER  OF  1746  431 

which  has  now  been  done  by  them  through  his  Reverence,  Mr. 
Slatter. 

Now  it  is  the  intention  of  Do.  Slatter  to  unite  the  con- 
gregation at  Germandon  with  this  congregation  [at  Philadel- 
phia], in  order  to  make  it  a  charge  for  one  minister. 

The  outcome  of  this  arrangement  would  be  that  I  would 
have  to  serve  one  of  these  places,  for  both  were  hitherto  my 
dear  congregations.  The  members  of  none  of  these  two  con- 
gregations are  opposed  to  me,  as  the  testimonials  of  my  three 
and  of  other  congregations,  formerly  demanded  of  me  and  sent 
over  to  you,  as  also  our  last  submissive  letters  from  Philadel- 
phia, credibly  testify.  But  since  Do.  Slatter  is  fully  convinced 
of  the  great  toil  and  labor,  hitherto  endured  by  me,  and  of 
my  continual  travels  throughout  the  country,  in  all  kinds  of 
changing  and  rough  weather  in  winter  and  summer,  and  as 
he  sees  that  I  have  faithfully  performed  it,  but  through  it 
have  been  brought  to  such  a  state,  that  according  to  my  opinion 
I  will  not  be  able  to  continue  this  traveling  much  longer, 
through  which  the  congregations  that  I  might  accept  would 
lack  regular  services  because  of  my  disability,  for  this  reason 
Do.  Slatter  considers  both  the  congregations  as  well  as  my- 
self, as  I  can  feel  my  strength  waning.  The  Reverend  Classis 
can  readily  believe  this,  as  I  have  now  completed  the  63rd 
year  of  my  life. 

He  [Slatter],  therefore  counselled  with  me  and  asked  for 
a  proposal  from  me,  so  that  I  might  be  able  to  conclude  my 
days  in  the  service  of  the  Lord,  which  I  made  as  follows  (as 
I  would  long  ago  have  liked  to  do,  but  was  unable  to  carry  it 
out,  because  I  was  almost  the  only  worker  here)  : 

Witpen  township,  where  I  live,  lies  almost  midway  be- 
tween Germandon  and  the  above  mentioned  Old  Goschen- 
hoppen,  which  are  about  23  or  24  miles  apart.  Weitmarge 
and  Schipbach  being  in  a  straight  line.  I  now  proposed  that 
a  regular  congregation  be  established  in  this  township,  to 
which  the  members  of  Upper  Weitmarge  and  those  in  the 
lower  part  of  Schipbach  and  the  country  round  about  might 
attach  themselves,  which  congregation  I  could  serve  from  my 
home,  even  after  I  have  become  incapable  of  traveling. 

Now,  if  the  godly  Church  Fathers  would  turn  the  eyes 
of  love  upon  the  least  of  their  fellow-servants  (because  it  is 


432  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

only  one  congregation  and  not  much  can  be  expected  from  it), 
so  that  I  might  have  the  necessaries  of  Hfe,  I  would  gladly  be 
exempt  from  other  burdens,  and  be  content  with  this,  not 
because  of  indolence  and  laziness,  but  for  the  weighty  reasons 
quoted  above.  It  would  then  be  a  joy  to  me  in  my  old  age, 
because  there  are  many  living  in  this  neighborhood,  who,  al- 
though they  are  of  Reformed  antecedents,  yet  have  not  joined 
any  church  nor  have  any  interest  in  this  work,  to  lead  some 
of  these  into  our  true  Church  and  to  help  in  the  salvation  of 
their  souls. 

What  has  meanwhile  taken  place,  upon  the  instigation  of 
his  Reverence,  Do.  Slatter,  with  reference  to  an  organiza- 
tion^"  between  Do.  Weiss,  Rieger  and  myself,  which  was  sent 
by  us  three  from  Philadelphia  to  the  Reverend  Christian  Synods 
and  the  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam  has,  we  trust,  come 
into  your  hands  before  this  time.  Do.  Slatter  did  not  rest 
until  he  had  accomplished  it. 

It  was  indeed  very  hard  for  me  to  stand  in  official  and 
brotherly  connection  with  men  through  whom  I  had  to  suffer 
so  much  affliction,  to  the  injury  of  my  health  (as  I  have  often 
complained  with  sadness  to  the  godly  Church  Fathers,  with 
ample  proofs  of  my  innocence).  But,  persuaded  by  Do.  Slat- 
ter, there  took  place  what  Christ  says,  Luke  17:4.  Then  I 
found  myself  also  in  duty  bound  to  do  what  our  Saviour  com- 
manded us  to  do.  Thus  it  happened  that  all  that  is  past  was 
thrown  into  the  fire  of  love.  The  true  prince  of  love,  Jesus, 
preserve  the  peace  among  his  unworthy  servants,  Amen. 

Now  I  feel  assured  that  the  Reverend  Classis  will  be 
pleased  with  this  and  not  put  to  the  account  of  any  one  that 
which  has  happened. 

However,  I  humbly  ask  the  Reverend  Classis  to  gladden 
the  heart  of  the  most  submissive,  humblest  and  least  of  your 
fellow-brethren  with  a  gracious  answer  to  our  last  letters  from 
Pennsylvania,  which,  as  Do.  Slatter  informed  me,  have  reached 
you,  and  to  which  I  would  like  to  receive  a  personal  answer. 
Meanwhile,  in  accordance  with  the  counsel  of  his  Reverence, 
Do.  Slatter,  I  shall  continue  to  serve,  in  my  usual  order  and 

'"'This  refers  to  the  preliminary  conference  held  on  October  12, 
1746,  in  Schlatter's  house  in  Philadelphia.     See  p.  134. 


LETTER  OF  1746  433 

according  to  my  ability,  in  all  of  the  congregations  to  which 
I  have  ministered  hitherto,  until  this  matter  has  been  decided. 

And  now,  Very  Reverend  Classis,  I  shall  live  in  submissive 
hope, — in  consideration  of  the  fact  that  I  have  faithfully  spent 
my  best  years  in  the  Lord's  service  and  have  had  little  tem- 
poral profit  from  it,  but  rather  did  not  even  spare  my  own 
property,  for  I  took  from  it  26  pounds  and  10  shillings  for 
printing,^°^  when  I  wrote  against  the  ungodly  Moravians,  of 
which  pamphlets  I  gave  away  more  than  I  sold  and  hence  will 
not  get  back  half  of  the  expenses,  (especially  since  I  have 
still  many  copies  on  hand)  to  the  detriment  of  my  family, 
which  I  could  have  supported  better  if  I  had  been  without 
this  burden,  and  now  I  am  no  longer  able  to  support  them 
with  manual  labor, — I  live  in  hope  that  you  will  graciously 
represent  the  case  of  your  humblest  fellow-servant,  with  your 
most  powerful  intercession,  before  the  Reverend  Christian 
Synods. 

I,  therefore,  commend  myself  to  the  favor  of  the  very 
reverend  and  devout  Church  Fathers,  and  to  their  most  gra- 
cious care,  asking  the  dear  Lord,  that  He  will  graciously  bless 
them  in  body  and  soul,  here  in  time  and  yonder  in  eternity. 

Commending    the  Very     Reverend    Classis,    my    devout 
Church  Fathers,  each  of  your  persons,  together  with  your  fami- 
lies and  holy  service,  to  God  and  the  Word  of  His  grace, 
I  am  and  unalterably  remain. 
Very  Reverend  Classis, 
Your  submissive,  obedient,  humble  and  least  fellow-brother  in 
the  Lord, 

JoHAN  Ph.  Boehm, 
Reformed  Minister  in  Pennsylvania. 
Witpen  Township, 

Philadelphia  County,  Pennsylvania, 

November  23,  1746. 

[postscript  of  NOVEMBER  25,    1746.] 

Very  Reverend  Classis: — 

I  consider  it  my  duty  to  inform  you  also  of  that  which 
I  learned  after  November  22nd.    When  I  came  to  Philadelphia 

""^  This  money  was  in  part  restored  to  Boehm's  widow  in  1752. 
See  p.  140. 

28 


434  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

on  the  23rd  of  November,  to  perform  my  official  duties,  I 
learned  from  an  elder  that  they  were  very  much  perplexed 
concerning  the  congregation,  believing  that  I  would  leave 
the  congregation  and  give  it  to  his  Reverence,  Mr.  Slatter. 
For  they  were  not  sure  that  they  could  have  Mr,  Slatter  as 
the  regular  minister  of  the  congregation.  Yet  on  account  of 
their  great  love  for  his  Reverence  and  having  the  firm  hope 
that  they  would  have  a  faithful  and  zealous  minister  in  him, 
they  wished  to  be  sure  of  him. 

Then  I  made  this  known  to  his  Reverence,  on  account  of 
my  sincere  love  for  this  my  dearly  beloved  congregation.  His 
Reverence  gave  me  the  following  answer : 

"As  yet  I  am  the  regular  minister  of  no  place  in  Penn- 
sylvania, nor  will  it  be  necessary  for  me  to  accept  a  call  until 
the  time  that  my  commission,  which  I  have  from  the  Chris- 
tian Synods,  has  expired.  For  until  that  time  no  congregation 
shall  have  any  expense  or  burden  on  my  account,  for  I  have 
no  permission  for  this". 

I  myself  can  truthfully  attest  that  his  Reverence  never 
asked  anything  wherever  he  has  been  in  this  country,  and  even 
where  he  was  offered  a  compensation  for  his  labor,  he  ac- 
cepted nothing,  and  what  is  more,  his  Reverence  preaches 
sometimes,  on  the  three  Sundays  intervening  between  my 
preaching,  both  in  Philadelphia  and  in  Germantown  (since  he 
cannot  travel  in  winter  and  therefore  stays  in  Philadelphia) 
without  pay,  and  the  small  perquisites  on  these  days  he  forces 
upon  me  saying  that  until  later  they  belonged  to  me  and  not 
to  him  and  he  would  not  take  anything  away  from  me,  his 
brother.  But,  in  order  to  quiet  the  congregation  in  Philadel- 
phia, for  which  he  also  had  a  love,  [he  said]  he  would  before 
his  time  accept  a  regular  call,  made  with  my  consent,  if  the 
conditions  on  both  sides  were  favorable,  but  with  the  pro- 
vision, that  in  his  absence  (for  next  spring  he  might  have  to 
be  absent  for  three  months  on  account  of  his  commission)  I 
should  not  desert  the  congregation,  but  officiate  in  the  same 
as  heretofore,  until  he  had  finished  his  work.  This  I  have 
promised  his  Reverence  willingly  and  heartily,  and  by  the  help 
of  God  I  expect  to  do  so. 

What  may  happen  in  the  future  time  will  show. 
November  25,  1746.  J.  Ph.  Boehm. 


LETTER  OF  1746  435 

[XLI.     MR.    SCHLATTER   TO    MR.    BOEHM,    NOVEMBER   29, 

Very  Reverend,  Very  Honorable  Sir, 

Dearest  Brother  in  Christ  Jesus  : — 

Yours  of  day  before  yesterday  came  to  hand  in  good  condition. 
The  copy  of  the  postscript  is  above  correction  and  written  in  a  truly 
brotherly  spirit.  I  shall  carefully  enclose  your  reverend  letter  to  the 
Classis  of  Amsterdam  in  mine  and  next  week  surrender  them  to  the 
guidance  of  God  and  the  tempestuous  sea. 

With  regard  to  the  time  at  which  I  am  expected  to  be  with  you, 
because  of  the  organization  of  the  new  congregation  and  the  building 
of  its  church,  I  leave  it  to  you  to  appoint  either  Tuesday,  the  9th  or 
Thursday,  the  11th  of  December.     Send  a  horse  a  day  beforehand."" 

Concerning  the  affairs  of  the  Philadelphia  congregation,  about 
which  I  counselled  with  you,  I  deem  it  to  be  the  shortest  and  surest 
way,  after  careful  deliberation,  that  your  Reverence,  for  my  sake  and 
that  of  the  congregation,  take  the  trouble  to  come  Sunday  the  7th  of 
December  to  Philadelphia  to  preach,  and,  if  you  then  think  best,  make 
the  necessary  announcement  of  the  matter  under  consideration  to  the 
congregation,  and  with  their  consent  and  approval  announce  my  name 
for  the  first  time  or  introduce  me,  according  to  the  custom  of  the 
church. 

I  would  then  do  the  same  in  the  afternoon  with  the  consistory, 
in  order  that  it  together  with  me  may  be  installed  two  weeks  hence 
by  your  Reverence,  so  that  I  can  deliver  my  introductory  sermon  on 
New  Year's  day.  By  following  such  a  course  everything  would  be 
done  before  the  Christmas  festival. 

I  do  not  doubt  that  your  Reverence  will  be  pleased  with  this 
proposition.  Hoping  this,  I  take  the  liberty  tomorrow  to  announce 
to  the  congregation  that  you  will  preach,  God  willing,  the  following 
Sunday  in  the  morning  and  will  make  an  important  statement  to  them. 

Meanwhile  I  have  the  pleasure  to  send  my  best  regards  to  your- 
self and  your  worthy  wife  and  also  your  dear  son,  of  whom  I  hope 
that  he  is  now  fully  recovered.  Commending  myself  most  respectfully 
to  your  continued  friendship,  I  ask,  with  every  respect,  for  the  honor 
to  be, 

My   most   reverend   and   esteemed    friend's   and   dearest    fellow- 

^''®  Sent  by  Boehm  to  the  Synods  (see  next  letter,  p.  437),  now  at 
The  Hague,  74,  H,  8. 

"^"We  cannot  be  sure  that  this  visit  of  Schlatter  to  Whitpain 
was  really  made.  There  is  no  further  evidence  that  he  actually  went 
there  at  that  time.  We  know  that  the  organization  of  the  Whitpain 
congregation  actually  took  place  in  February,  1747.  See  Life  of 
Schlatter,  p.  149f. 


436  LETTERS  OF  EOEHM 

brother's   devoted  and  most  willing  servant, 

Mich.  Slatter. 
Philadelphia,  November  29,  1746. 


[XLII.    MR.  BOEHM  TO  THE  DEPUTIES  OF  THE  SYNODS, 
DECEMBER  12,  1746.='"] 

Very  Rez-erend,  Very  Learned  and  Dez'out  Sirs,  Deputies  of 
the  two  Christian  Synods  of  South  and  North  Holland: — 
His  Reverence,  Mr.  Slatter,  who  was  sent  hither  by  the 
two  Christian  Synods,  arrived  here  this  fall  with  your  instruc- 
tions, dated  'sGraven-Haage,  May  13,  1746.^^^*  Thereby  my 
heart  was  made  to  rejoice  greatly  and  especially  do  I  give 
thanks  unto  the  merciful  God  that  He  has  finally,  after  much 
prayer  and  many  sighs,  listened  graciously  to  me,  poor  burden- 
bearer,  and  has  allowed  me  to  see  such  an  effectual  instrument 
and  kind  brother  and  fellow-worker  in  His  holy  service.  May 
the  Lord  Jesus  bless  him  further  and  preserve  him  in  His 
grace,  that  he  may  be  blessed  all  the  days  of  his  life,  and 
afterwards  may  he  shine  like  the  brightness  of  heaven  in  the 
eternal  kingdom  of  the  joy  of  our  God.     Amen. 

Very  Reverend  Sirs,  his  Reverence,  Mr.  Slatter,  brought 
me  refreshing  tidings,  among  others  that  our  last  letters  from 
Philadelphia,  of  the  year  1744.  came  to  the  hands  of  the 
Christian  Synods.  He  thought  that  later  on  a  kind  answer  to 
me  would  follow,  for  which  I  have  thus  far  waited  painfully. 

But  your  obedient  servant  and  least  fellow-worker  can 
wait  no  longer  to  express  his  gratitude  for  the  efforts  showing 
a  sanctified  zeal  for  the  true  Church  of  Jesus  in  this  as  yet 
desolate  land. 

I,  therefore,  thank  you  with  the  most  humble  reverence, 
from  the  bottom  of  my  heart,  wishing  your  Reverences  in  the 
inmost  of  my  soul,  all  rich  and  gracious  blessings  of  body  and 

'"  The  original  German  letter  of  Boehm  is  in  the  archives  at 
The  Hague,  74,  I,  44. 

'"'  The  correct  date  of  Schlatter's  instruction  is  May  23,  1746, 
as  appears  from  the  cop\-  preserved  in  the  Minutes  of  the  Deputies. 
See  also  Fresenius,  Pastoral  Sammlxingen,  Vol.  XH,  p.  221. 


LETTER  OF  1746  437 

soul.  May  the  merciful  and  gracious  God  and  Father  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  bless  our  Church  Fathers  who  labor  so 
faithfully  in  His  work,  each  person,  family  and  holy  service, 
and  may  their  reward  of  grace  be  the  crown  of  glory  in 
heaven.    Amen. 

Very  Reverend  Sirs,  your  servant  is  also  willing  to  inform 
you,  in  due  reverence,  concerning  some  occurrences  here,  think- 
ing that  it  is  best,  inasmuch  as  the  united  servants  of  God 
should  know  the  same  things,  to  send  you  true  copies  of  all 
which  has  been  reported  in  these  present  affairs  to  the  Very 
Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam.  Thus  your  Reverences  may 
see  from  that  which  was  obediently  sent  to  the  Very  Reverend 
Classis  of  Amsterdam  on  the  23rd  and  24th  of  November, 
1746,  what  your  obedient  servant  asked  for  and  what  he  again 
submissively  asks  from  your  Reverences. 

You  can  also  see  from  the  enclosed  original  letter,  dated 
November  29,  1746,  what  his  Reverence,  Mr.  Slatter  has  asked 
of  him. 

Very  Reverend  Sirs,  how  can  I  do  otherwise  than  comply 
with  the  request  of  his  Reverence,  Mr.  Slatter,  also  out  of  re- 
spect to  the  Christian  Synods  and  the  Very  Reverend  Deputies, 
especially  since  it  all  tends  to  the  glory  of  God  and  the  up- 
building of  our  true  churches  here. 

In  the  confident  hope  that  your  Reverences  will  look  favor- 
ably upon  the  least  of  your  fellow-servants,  with  eyes  of  love 
for  Christ's  sake,  and  expecting  a  kind  and  favorable  answer 
also  with  respect  to  the  above-mentioned  affair,  I  close  and 
commend  your  very  reverend  persons,  families  and  holy  service 
to  God  and  the  Word  of  His  grace,  and  myself  to  your  sancti- 
fied love  and  favor,  remaining  obediently, 
Very  Reverend  Sirs, 
Your  obedient  and  humble  servant  and  the  least  fellow-servant 

of  Jesus  Christ, 

JoHAN  Philips  Boehm, 
Reformed  Minister  in  Pennsylvania. 
Witpen  Township,  Philadelphia  County, 
Pennsylvania,  December  12,  1746. 


438  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

[XLIII.    MR.    BOEHM    SENDING    THE    MINUTES    OF    THE 
COETUS  OF  1748,  NOVEMBER  21,  1748.'"] 

Very  Reverend  Christian  Synods  of  North  and  South  Holland 
and  Very  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  Devout  Church 
Fathers: — 

To  the  Very  Reverend  Christian  Synods  and  the  Very 
Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam  your  most  submissive  and 
humble  fellow-servant  sends  herewith  most  obediently  the  min- 
utes of  the  second  Coetus  of  our  Reformed  churches  in  Penn- 
sylvania, held  on  September  28,  1748,  conformable  to  the 
unanimous  resolution  of  the  Reverend  Coetus  (as  can  be  seen 
in  the  nth  article)  in  printed  form. 

From  them  the  Reverend  Christian  Synods  and  the  Rev- 
erend Classis  of  Amsterdam  will  see,  it  is  hoped,  that  we 
thought  of  nothing  else  but  to  keep  our  still  weak  but  true 
Church  in  this  land  in  the  pure  doctrine,  to  govern  it  in 
peace  and  harmony,  so  that  by  its  spread  the  name  of  God 
might  be  glorified  and  the  kingdom  of  Jesus,  our  dearest  and 
most  perfect   Saviour,   be   enlarged. 

But  with  regard  to  Do.  Rieger's  excuse  in  article  3rd, 
concerning  that  which  I  consider  as  the  chief  and  most  neces- 
sary thing,  in  which  special  caution  is  required  in  this  wretched 
country,  so  full  of  sects,  we  submit  the  same  to  the  devout  and 
most  careful  judgment  of  the  Reverend  Christian  Synods  and 
the  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  awaiting  your  kind  reply 
and  instruction  regarding  it. 

As  regards  the  signing  of  the  minutes  of  the  Reverend 
Coetus  by  his  Reverence  [Mr.  Rieger]  as  secretary,  this  was 
impossible,  as  his  residence  is  so  far  away  from  mine,  for  he 
resides  in  Cannastocka  [Conestoga].  Moreover,  I  thought 
that,  as  he  excused  himself  from  accepting  and  subscribing  to 
the  above  mentioned  main  point,  he  would  hesitate  to  sign  the 
entire  minutes  in  which  this  point  is  incorporated,  because  he 
would  thereby  contradict  himself,  hence  it  was  omitted. 

In  the  meantime  the  Reverend  Christian  Synods  and  the 
Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam  may  regard  the  minutes  as 
entirely   credible    and    sufficient,    inasmuch    as   all    the   other 

"*  Original  German  letter  in  the  archives  at  The  Hague,  74,  I,  49. 


LETTER  OF  1748  439 

reverend  brethren  and  ministers  who  were  present  signed  it 
with  their  own  hands,  as  did  also  the  elders  whom  they  had 
with  them  and  who  are  named  in  the  minutes,  not  one  of  them 
having  raised  the  least  objection.  I  am  ready  to  send  over,  on 
demand,  the  original  which  is  kept  here. 

Meanwhile  his  Reverence,  Do.  Slatter,  had  gone  to  Lan- 
caster, and  preached  there  November  13th,  and  I  [preached] 
for  him  in  Philadelphia,  where  I  stayed  until  the  i6th,  on 
account  of  the  printing  [of  the  minutes]. 

When  Do.  Slatter  came  home  on  the  15th,  his  Reverence 
said  that  he  was  commissioned  to  sign  Do.  Rieger's  name  as 
secretary,  but  it  was  too  late,  as  the  printer  had  completed 
his  work. 

Regarding  Do.  Weiss,  neither  he  himself  nor  any  of  the 
elders  of  his  three  congregations,  namely  Old  and  New  Gosch- 
enhoppen  and  Great  Swamp,  appeared.  I  do  not  know  what 
was  the  reason.^^^ 

As  to  the  case  of  Mr.  Lischy,  mentioned  in  article  4,  he 
has  reserved  to  himself  the  right  to  send  his  confession  of 
faith  to  his  Reverence,  Do.  Slatter.  For  my  part,  I  have  good 
hope  that  he  will  be  in  the  future  a  faithful  fellow-laborer  in 
our  true  Church.  May  God,  the  only  searcher  of  hearts,  give 
him  his  blessing. 

The  heart-rending  and  most  deplorable  case  of  Do.  Hoch- 
reutner,  our  dearly  beloved  and  much  esteemed  brother,  I  shall 
not  touch  upon  here,  because  Do.  Slatter  will  describe  it  at 
length,  he  being  better  able  to  do  so,  having  full  knowledge  of 
it.  I  content  myself  with  saying  that  he  lost  his  life  by  an  un- 
fortunate gun-shot  in  Do.  Slatter's  house  in  Philadelphia.^** 

"'The  copy  of  a  letter  of  Weiss  to  Schlatter,  dated  December 
12,  1748,  is  on  file  in  the  archives  at  The  Hague,  in  which  Weiss 
excuses  his  absence  because  of  sickness. 

'"The  tragic  death  of  Rev.  John  Jacob  Hochreutner  was  noticed 
in  Saur's  Paper,  Pcnnsylvanischc  Bcrichtc,  under  date  November  16, 
1748.  He  writes :  "John  Jacob  Hochreutner,  student  of  theology,  born 
in  St.  Gall,  Switzerland,  was  called  as  Reformed  pastor  to  Pennsyl- 
vania. He  arrived  this  fall  at  Philadelphia  and  was  lately  appointed 
pastor  at  Lancaster.  When  he  was  told  that  he  would  find  a  congre- 
gation of  rough  and  insolent  people,  not  at  all  broken  in,  he  answered : 
T  wish  I  were  a  woodchopper.'  His  congregation  sent  a  horse  for  him 
to  Philadelphia.    He  intended  to  travel  to  Lancaster  in  company  with 


440  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

It  was  assuredly  a  hard  blow  for  our  Reformed  Church  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  a  still  greater  trial  for  the  old  and  young 
members  of  the  body  of  Jesus  in  our  true  Church.  The  ways 
of  God  are  wonderful  and  always  holy. 

This  is  what  I  was  ordered  to  send  to  the  Reverend 
Christian  Synods  and  the  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam.  I 
have  done  it  according  to  my  duty  and  the  best  of  my  ability. 

Imploring  our  omnipotent,  faithful  God  and  heavenly 
Father  upon  my  knees  to  preserve  with  His  grace  and  blessing 
His  true  Church  in  this  dangerous  land  against  all  wicked  and 
false  laborers,  to  support  it  by  His  omnipotence,  and  graciously 
to  keep  it  by  His  providence,  which  is  inscrutable,  that  it  may 
be  enlarged  to  the  honor  of  His  name.    Amen. 

To  the  same  God  who  helps  all  those  that  trust  in  him  and 
to  the  Word  of  His  grace,  your  most  submissive  and  humble 
fellow-servant  in  Christ  Jesus  commends  the  Reverend  Chris- 
tian Synods  and  the  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  as  our 
godly  Church  Fathers,  your  devout  persons,  families  and  holy 
service.  With  heart  and  soul  I  wish  you  blessing,  life  and  the 
eternal  crown  for  your  great  toil  and  the  Christian  care  and 
solicitude,  which  you  show  for  our  still  feeble  and  dependent 

the  ordinary  post  on  October  13th.  But  at  the  appointed  hour  he 
was  found  dead  in  his  room,  booted  and  spurred,  the  shotgun  at  his 
side.  A  shot  had  passed  through  the  left  breast  and  the  bullet  lay 
fiat  against  the  shoulder  blade,  near  the  skin.  There  was  no  suspicion 
that  he  intended  to  shoot  himself.  The  ramrod  was  not  entirely  in 
its  place,  hence  it  is  supposed  that  he  wanted  to  pull  out  the  rod  or 
push  it  back.  There  was  found  on  his  person  a  written  sermon,  which 
he  had  intended  to  preach  two  days  later.  It  had  as  its  text  the  divine 
call  to  the  young  Samuel  (I  Sam.  3).  Report  has  it  that  he  had  a 
good  character,  also  a  certain  degree  of  piety  and  had  made  a  good 
beginning  in  the   Christian  life." 

Schlatter,  in  his  Journal,  states :  "A  gun  which,  when  he  was 
yet  in  the  ship,  he  had  loaded  with  a  ball,  which  he  now  attempted 
to  extract  without  having  the  necessary  means  to  accomplish  it,  ex- 
ploded in  his  hands,  and  pierced  his  body  so  that  he  lay  dead  in  my 
room  when  my  wife  and  maid-servant  came  in  to  inform  him  that  an 
elder  with  a  horse  was  ready  at  the  door  to  take  him  away" !  The 
sermon,  which  Schlatter  found  in  his  pocket,  he  had  printed,  "agree- 
ably to  the  solicitations  of  many,"  under  the  appropriate  title,  "The 
Swan  Song."  It  was  translated  and  published  by  Dr.  J.  H.  Dubbs 
in  the  Reformed  Quarterly  Review  for  July,  1886. 


LETTER  OF   1748  441 

but  true  Reformed  Church  and  all  its  faithful  servants.  We 
commend  ourselves  with  our  whole  Church  and  faithful  fellow- 
servants  (next  to  God  who  is  all  in  all)  to  the  Reverend 
Christian  Synods  and  the  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam  for 
their  continued  fatherly  and  Christian  affection,  care  and  solici- 
tude. 

Calling  myself  in  all  humility  the  most  submissive,  hum- 
ble and  obedient  servant  of  the  Reverend  Christian  Synods  of 
North  and  South  Holland  and  of  the  Reverend  Classis  of 
Amsterdam. 

JoHANN  Philips  Boehm, 
The  first  burden-bearer  in  all  Pennsylvania,  now  merely  pas- 
tor of  the  newly  organized  and  still  small  congregation  of 
Witpen  in  Philadelphia  County,  p.  t.  Coetus  Praeses. 
Witpen  Township,  Philadelphia  County, 
November  21,  1748. 


[XLIV.    MR.    BOEHM    TO    A    CLASSICAL    COMMISSIONER, 
NOVEMBER  22,  1748."'] 

Very  Reverend  and  Very  Learned,  Devout  and  Much  Honored 

Sir  and  Gracious  Patron: — 

From  your  Reverence  I  cannot  conceal  my  hearty  grief, 
because  I  was  assured  by  Do.  Schlatter  almost  two  years  ago, 
at  the  time  of  his  arrival  here,  that  our  last  letters  from  Penn- 
sylvania had  been  received  by  the  Reverend  Church  Fathers. 
Their  answer  would  have  been  brought  along  by  him  [Schlat- 
ter], if  his  departure  had  not  been  so  hurried,  but  it  was 
promised  that  it  would  follow  at  the  next  opportunity.  Thus 
far,  however,  I  have  seen  nothing  of  it.^^®  Hence,  I  fear  that 
the  old  servant  and  his  burdensome  work  in  the  service  of  the 
Lord,  performed  so  laboriously,  will  at  last  be  forgotten  en- 
tirely.    Nevertheless,  I  shall  meanwhile  co-operate  faithfully, 

"'The  original  German  letter  of  Boehm  is  in  the  Classical 
archives  at  Amsterdam. 

'"The  letter,  for  which  Boehm  was  waiting  so  patiently,  must 
have  come  in  the  course  of  December,  1748,  for  it  caused  the  next 
letter  of  Boehm. 


442  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

and  with  the  grace  of  God.  as  long  as  I  am  able,  I  shall  not 
cease  to  show  my  faithfulness  before  God  and  my  devout 
Church  Fathers,  until  I  am  ordered  to  stop. 

Herewith  I  transmit  to  the  Very  Reverend  Classis  of 
Amsterdam  the  things  that  have  taken  place  in  our  Reformed 
churches.  I  did  not  know  how  to  do  it  better  than  to  entrust 
it  to  your  Reverence,  to  send  it  to  its  proper  place.  I  ask 
earnestly  that  your  Reverence  will  deem  your  humble  fellow- 
servant  worthy  to  gladden  him  with  a  short,  sealed  letter. 

Commending  your  Reverence  and  all  the  faithful  servants 
of  God,  together  with  all  their  families  and  holy  service  to  God 
and  the  Word  of  His  grace,  and  myself  to  your  affectionate 
and  kind  favor  as  also  to  your  powerful  intercession,  I  am, 
Very  Reverend  Sir, 
My  much  honored  and  highly  esteemed  Patron, 
Your  submissive  and  devoted, 

JoH.  Ph.  Boehm. 
Witpen,  in  Philadelphia  County, 
November  22,  1748. 


[XLV.    MR.  BOEHM,  TO  A  CLASSICAL  COMMISSIONER,  DE- 
CEMBER, 1748.'"] 

Very  Reverend,  Pious  and  Very  Learned  Sir: — 

The  letter  sent  by  your  Reverence  to  your  most  humble 
fellow-brother  certainly  exhausts  all  Christian  love,  favor  and 
timely  care.^^"*  It  emboldens  me  to  submit  to  your  Reverence 
privately  and  confidentially  one  or  more  questions  and  also  to 
communicate  to  you  several  things,  hoping  that  your  Rever- 
ence will  not  take  it  amiss  from  your  humble  fellow-worker, 
and  if  he  fails  in  anything  pardon  it  and  supply  him  with  better 
information  which  he  will  receive  with  obedient  submission, 
hence 

(i).     Inasmuch  as  I  see  at  the  end  of  Do.  Slatter's  in- 

"'  This  letter  of  Boehm  is  also  in  the  Classical  archives. 

"'•  This  letter  from  Amsterdam  must  have  reached  Pennsylvania 
after  November  22,  1748,  the  date  of  the  preceding  letter  of  Boehm,  for 
at  that  time  it  had  not  yet  come  to  hand. 


LETTER  OF   1748  443 

structions,  that,  after  his  Reverence  has  brought  all  the  things 
committed  to  him  in  order,  within  the  space  of  half  a  year,  he 
shall  hold  a  Coetus  (N.  B.  his  arrival  here  took  place  on 
August  ly,  1746,)  which  he  did  at  the  end  of  the  month  of 
September,  1747,  at  which  meeting  he  presided,  according  to 
instruction.  After  the  lapse  of  a  year  a  second  Coetus  was 
held.  What  transpired  then  can  be  seen  in  the  Coetus  Acts 
which  were  obediently  sent  over  to  you.  Now,  does  Do. 
Slatter's  commission  still  retain  its  authority?  (This  seems 
to  be  implied  in  Art.  IV  of  the  Coetus  Protocol,  referring  to 
the  transmission  of  Lischy's  confession  of  faith,  which  con- 
tradicts the  same  [protocol  art.  Ill]  and  in  several  other 
items,  especially  in  art.  XII,  where  the  same  claim  is  made). 
Or  shall  everything  relating  to  the  administration  of  the  Re- 
formed churches  in  Pennsylvania  be  automatically  transferred 
to  the  whole  Coetus?  That  would  be  for  the  best  interest  of 
our  churches  and  also  the  safest  plan.  For,  if  such  an  im- 
portant matter  be  left  in  the  power  of  one  man  only,  things 
are  often  done  with  a  bias  and  not  in  the  right  way.  Moreover, 
such  procedure  is  involved  in  his  [Schlatter's]  instructions, 
because,  after  the  first  Coetus  and  after  handing  in  his  report, 
he  has  the  liberty  to  select  as  his  congregation  one  of  those 
which  were  organized  hy  him,  where  he  shall  be  installed  and 
which  he  shall  serve  as  long  as  it  pleases  his  Reverence.  Ac- 
cordingly, his  Reverence  is  like  any  other  of  his  fellow- 
brethren. 

Now,  although  I  handed  over  and  surrendered  the  princi- 
pal congregation  in  Philadelphia  to  his  Reverence,  out  of 
respect  to  the  Reverend  Christian  Synods  and  out  of  love  to 
his  Reverence  (yet  with  a  certain  reservation,  as  the  enclosed 
copy  of  my  testimonial  from  them^^^  will  show,  which  will  also 
prove  how  I  acted  with  this  congregation  when  it  was  in  need 
and  how  I  managed  it),  nevertheless,  I  hope  that  his  Rever- 
ence, Do.  Slatter,  will  not  be  considered  more  than  any  other 
of  his  brethren,  incorporated  into  the  Reverend  Coetus,  and 
that  he  will  be  a  regular  pastor,  otherwise  it  will  not  con- 
tribute to  our  peace  in  the  future. 

"'This  document  has  apparently  not  been  preserved.     At  least 
it  has  not  been  found  thus  far. 


444  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

(2).  Inasmuch  as  Do.  Rieger,  according  to  the  third  item 
in  the  minutes  of  our  Coetus  refused  to  accept  the  most  im- 
portant and  principal  point,  and  as  there  are  many  other 
things  which  make  it  as  clear  as  daylight  that  he  is  not  sound 
and  orthodox  in  our  pure  Reformed  doctrine,  must  he  still  be 
president,  because  he  was  elected  as  the  next  one,  and  can  he 
have  seat  and  voice  in  our  Coetus?  Or  should  the  Reverend 
Coetus,  for  just  and  sufficient  reasons,  elect  another  faithful 
and  submissive  fellow-brother  for  this  position? 

Likewise,  what  should  be  done  with  Do.  Weiss,  who,  as 
I  have  learned  for  certain,  received  the  invitation  to  the  Coetus 
and  yet  neither  he  himself  appeared  nor  did  he  send  any  of  his 
elders,"^  for  I  learned  of  one  of  them  that  his  Reverence  had 
said  nothing  to  any  one  concerning  it?  Especially  because  his 
Reverence  has  not  complied  with  his  duty,  involved  in  the  third 
point  of  the  Coetus  minutes,  and  has  not  signed  this  declara- 
tion. 

(3).  Regarding  Mr.  Lischy  [I  wish  to  say  that]  although, 
through  his  beautiful  confession,  made  before  the  Coetus,  he 
won  my  heart,  so  that,  as  the  Lord  liveth,  I  mean  it  well  with 
him  and  rejoice  over  him  in  my  soul,  yet  I  cannot  forbear 
mentioning  to  your  Reverence  how  it  was  with  him  formerly. 
Because  I  had  called  him  a  Herrnhuter,  he  had  offered  at 
many  places  to  prove  me  an  evident  liar,  for  he  did  not  want 
to  be  anything  else  than  a  Reformed  minister  from  Switzer- 
land. When  the  people  called  him  to  account  and  convicted  him 
[of  falsehood],  he  said:  'I  had  called  him  a  Herrnhuter,  but 
he  was  no  Herrnhuter,  he  was  a  Swiss,  hence  I  was  a  liar,'  etc. 
Again,  at  several  places  where  the  people  did  not  want  to 
trust  him  he  swore  saying  that  God  might  depart  from  him  and 
the  sun  shine  on  him  no  more,  if  he  were  a  Herrnhuter,  and 
when  he  could  deny  it  no  longer  he  extricated  himself  with  the 
above  answer.  But  inasmuch  as  Lischy  was  an  extreme  and 
corrupt  Zinzendorfian,  my  soul  rejoices  all  the  more  over  the 
great  grace  of  God  which  he  experienced  and  I  do  not  deny 
that  he  has  captivated  my  heart  and  I  look  indeed  for  his 
faithfulness  and  care  in  behalf  of  our  Church,  for  he  revealed 
to  me  on  the  2nd  of  November  last  in  Germantown,  that  Do. 

""Weiss  sent  a  letter  of  excuse  to  Schlatter.    See  note  313. 


LETTER  OF   1748  445 

Rieger  before  the  Coetus  had  tried  to  make  an  agreement  with 
him,  proposing  that  when  they  should  come  to  the  Coetus, 
they  would  endeavor  to  make  an  altogether  new  Church  Order, 
so  that  a  member  who  wanted  his  child  baptized  in  infancy 
could  have  it  baptized,  and  whoever  wanted  it  first  to  grow 
up  and  reach  years  of  discretion  should  be  permitted  to  do  so 
and  if  one  wanted  it  to  remain  unbaptized,  he  might  have  it 
that  way,  for  this  was  a  land  where  it  could  be  done,  etc. 
This  he  [Lischy]  told  as  a  warning  that  we  should  be  on  our 
guard  concerning  Rieger.  But  I  report  all  to  you  in  confidence 
and  with  the  hope  that  he  [Lischy]  is  really  sincere,  although 
I  cannot  search  men's  hearts  and  cannot  at  present  understand 
his  possible  motives.  However,  I  am  so  simple-minded  as  to 
believe  that  in  view  of  these  facts  it  would  be  better  (not  in 
order  to  injure  him  but  to  test  his  sincerity  still  more)  to  pro- 
ceed slowly  with  him  until  from  those  whom  he  serves  in  his 
Gospel  ministry  sufficient  and  official  testimonials  regarding 
him  have  been  secured.  All  of  which  I  submit  to  your  Rever- 
ence's wise  consideration  and  I  shall  look  forward  to  further 
information. 

Do.  Slatter  very  hastily  and  urgently  insisted  last  year 
at  the  first  Coetus  that  Lischy  should  have  a  seat  and  that 
Coetus  should  write  [to  Holland]  in  his  behalf,  in  order  that 
he  be  recognized  as  a  Reformed  minister.  But  I  was  abso- 
lutely opposed  to  it  and  delayed  action,  all  the  more  because  I 
saw  that  several  intelligent  men  disapproved  of  it  very  much 
together  with  me.  As  a  result  I  caused  considerable  ill-feeling 
towards  myself,  but  I  did  not  mind  that,  because  I  never  look 
for  my  own  honor  and  profit,  but  I  care  only  for  the  advantage 
and  the  best  interests  of  our  Church  in  this  country  as  far  as 
I  am  able  with  the  grace  of  God. 

The  same  thing  took  place  this  year  in  the  Reverend 
Coetus,  when  a  man,  with  the  name  of  Wuertz.^^o  applied  to 

^  John  Conrad  Wirtz  (Wuertz)  was  born  November  30,  1706,  in 
the  Canton  of  Zurich,  Switzerland.  He  left  Zurich  in  October,  1734, 
together  with  the  colony  of  Rev.  Maurice  Goetschy,  whose  daughter, 
Anna,  he  married.  He  arrived  with  the  party  in  Philadelphia,  May 
29,  1735;  became  school  teacher  at  Old  Goshenhoppen,  later  he  taught 
school  for  a  Mennonite  congregation  in  Conestoga  Township.  He 
began   preaching   about    1742.     From    September,    1742,    to   December, 


446  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

us.  He  is  also  very  likely  known  to  you.  When  I,  as  presi- 
dent, asked  him  what  his  desire  was,  he  submitted  his  case 
as  follows:  It  was  well  known  that  he  had  served  his  con- 
gregations as  a  preacher  for  a  long  time,  hence  he  desired  to 
request  the  Reverend  Coetus  to  assist  him  in  securing  his  ordi- 
nation as  a  minister.  When  I  asked  him  to  retire  and  then  in- 
quired of  every  one  regarding  him,  not  one  member  of  the 
Coetus  was  in  favor  of  taking  up  the  case  of  such  a  man,  who 
was  well  known  to  many  of  them,  except  Do.  Slatter,  who 
remained  silent,  but  who  during  the  previous  year  had  worked 
with  me  in  his  behalf.  But  because  I  had  learned  long  ago 
what  a  disorderly  tramp  [Landlaufer]  he  had  been,  who  ad- 
ministered the  sacraments  without  permission  and  against  all 
admonitions,  I  did  not  consent  to  Do.  Slatter  and  prevented 
such  action. ^-^  Among  others  one  of  the  elders  arose  in  the 
Coetus  and  said  that  there  was  a  place  up  in  the  country, 
along  the  Susquehanna,  where  the  people  wanted  him  as  their 
schoolmaster.  There  he  might  do  well,  but  he  insisted  on 
being  a  preacher.  Then  he  [Wuertz]  was  called  in  again  and 
this  place  was  proposed  to  him,  but  he  answered  very  little. 
Do.  Slatter,  however,  said,  how  can  the  man  get  there?  He 
does  not  even  have  enough  money  for  his  traveling  expenses 
and  he  asked  whether  the  Coetus  would  be  satisfied  if  he  give 
him  of  the  Reiff  money  five  pounds  as  his  traveling  expenses. 
I  refused  to  have  anything  to  do  with  that.  His  Reverence 
had  settled  that  afifair,  had  taken  the  money  and  would  him- 
self have  to  give  an  account  of  it.  This  was  also  the  opinion 
of  most  of  the  others,  who  said  that  they  did  not  want  to  have 

1743,  he  was  pastor  at  Egypt ;  from  1745  to  1749  he  was  preaching 
at  Saucon,  Springfield  and  the  Forks  of  the  Delaware.  September  27, 
1750,  he  applied  to  the  Presbyterian  Synod  of  New  York  for  admis- 
sion. He  was  received  as  a  probationer  by  the  Presbytery  of  New 
Brunswick,  September  3,  1751,  and  ordained  by  this  Presbytery  as 
pastor  of  Rockaway,  N.  J.,  June  5,  1752,  which  he  served  till  1761.  He 
was  dismissed  by  the  Presbytery,  October  21,  1761,  to  become  the 
pastor  of  the  Reformed  Church  at  York.  This  he  served  from  May, 
1762,  to  September,  1763.  He  died  at  York,  September  21,  1763.  See 
Harbaugh,  Fathers,  Vol.  I,  pp.  388-394;  Good,  History,  p.  253-255. 

'"The  Presbyterians  thought  evidently  better  of  Wuertz  than 
Boehm,  who  was  prejudiced  against  him  and  forgot  that  he  had  once 
been  in  the  same  plight. 


LETTER  OF   1748  447 

anything  to  do  or  say  with  regard  to  that  money.  Nevertheless, 
Do.  Slatter  gave  him  that  amount,  although  he  did  not  think 
it  was  necessary  to  insert  it  as  an  item  in  the  minutes,  to  which 
I  assented  for  the  sake  of  peace.  As  far  as  I  am  concerned, 
Reverend  Sir,  I  have  just  reasons  for  refraining  from  having 
anything  to  do  with  that  money  or  being  in  any  way  responsi- 
ble for  it.  For  this  affair  was  concluded  by  Do.  Slatter  with- 
out me,  by  calling  in  only  Do.  Weis,  and  by  settling  with  the 
insolent  Reiff.  It  is  enough  that  I  have  been  so  shamefully 
insulted  because  of  it.  But,  for  the  sake  of  peace,  I  shall  be 
silent  about  this  affair,  except  when  I  shall  be  asked  regarding 
it.  Then  I  shall  state  the  truth  according  to  my  conscience, 
as  before  God. 

SIGNATURE  OF  WUERTZ  FROM  THE  EGYPT  RECORD 

But  in  order  to  report  a  little  more  about  the  case  of 
Wuertz,  let  me  say  that  he  came  to  this  country  with  the  old 
Goetschi,^--  who  had  been  a  minister  in  Switzerland,  in  the  Can- 
ton of  Zurich,  and  had  left  that  country  because  of  adultery. 
This  man  had  a  daughter,  whom  this  Wuertz  married  across 
the  sea.  She  had  a  child  who  died  on  the  ocean,  but  he  came 
to  this  country.    Meanwhile  he  was  accepted  at  Old  Goschen- 

"^  This  is  the  Rev.  Maurice  Goetschy,  who  was  born  in  1686.  On 
December  4,  1702,  he  matriculated  in  the  Latin  school  at  Zurich.  In 
1710,  he  entered  the  ministry,  becoming,  in  1712,  assistant  pastor  at 
Bernegg,  in  the  Rhine  valley,  and  in  1720,  pastor  at  Saletz.  He  was 
deposed  in  1731.  He  left  Zurich,  with  a  colony  of  400  emigrants  in 
October  1734,  which  landed  at  Philadelphia,  May  29,  1735.  Rev. 
Maurice  Goetchy  died  on  the  day  following  his  landing.  His  funeral 
was  held  in  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Philadelphia,  according  to  a 
letter  of  his  son,  John  Henry  Goetschy,  dated  July  21,  1735. 


448  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

hoppen  to  teach  school.  But  they  soon  got  tired  of  him  and 
sent  him  away.  Afterwards  the  Mennonites  at  Cannastocka 
[Conestoga]  accepted  him  for  the  same  work,  but  he  was 
dismissed  by  them  just  as  quickly,  etc.  Many  other  things 
may  be  passed  over,  because  from  these,  which  are  true  and 
known  to  all  men,  it  can  be  sufficiently  inferred  how  matters 
stand  with  him  and  that  I  am  not  unjustly  opposed  to  him. 

They  try  indeed  to  move  me  always  with  these  words : 
'He  is  a  very  poor  man,  out  of  pity  for  him  we  ought  to  help 
him  to  get  a  living.  He  is  way  up  in  the  woods,  far  away 
from  us,  he  can  hardly  do  any  damage'.  But  what  does  that 
mean?  We  must,  I  believe,  consider  the  welfare  of  the  con- 
gregations, which  belong  to  our  Church  in  Pennsylvania,  al- 
though they  be  situated  far  away  from  us,  and  not  regard 
them  any  the  less  worthy  of  a  good  and  faithful  teacher  than 
those  served  by  ourselves,  so  that  our  godly  Church  Fathers 
in  time  may  see  with  hearty  joy  their  great  work  prosper 
among  all  the  scattered  souls  which  hunger  for  the  Word  of 
God  and  that  they  may  not  have  this  experience,  of  seeing 
such  persons  have  a  seat  in  and  preside  over  our  Coetus. 

It  is  indeed  true  that  if  able  men  could  be  secured  in  this 
country,  the  heavy  traveling  expenses  [from  Europe]  could 
be  saved,  which  would  be  a  great  joy  to  me.  But  that  we 
should  recommend  persons  who  have  no  ability  as  suitable,  I 
do  not  believe  to  be  acceptable  to  the  Reverend  Christian 
Synods  and  the  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  nor  should 
we  be  responsible  for  it.  I  believe  that  such  people  ought  to 
be  left  alone,  if  we  cannot  help  them  soon  with  regular  minis- 
ters, until  such  congregations  see  the  prosperity  and  growth  of 
other  congregations,  which  have  regular  ministers  and  thereby 
become  eager  for  a  better  condition  than  the  one  in  which 
they  are  and  also  become  willing  to  offer  and  promise  a  reliable 
salary.     Then  the  dear  Lord  will  find  means  to  help  them. 

I  cannot  reveal  to  your  Reverence  with  my  poor  pen  the 
heartfelt  joy  which  I  experienced  when  I  saw  the  two  reverend 
brethren  sent  over  to  us,  Messrs.  Hochreutner  and  Bartholo- 
mie.^^^    I  would  have  liked  to  see  one  of  them  relieve  me  of  my 

•"John  Jacob  Hochreutner  was  born  April  27,  1721,  at  St.  Gall, 
Switzerland.    He  received  his  education  at  St.  Gall;  was  licensed  there 


LETTER  OF  1748  449 

long  journey  to  Falkner  Schwam  and  Providentz,  for  which 
there  was  some  prospect,  but  it  was  represented  to  me  whether  I 
would  not  prefer  seeing  the  shepherdless  congregations,  which 
had  no  ministers  helped  first  of  all,  afterwards  I  might  be  re- 
lieved. I  should  not  begrudge  them  this  blessing  and  have  a 
little  patience.  The  dear  Lord  would  perhaps  soon  send  more 
help.  Whereupon  I  willingly  resolved  (because  I  saw  such  an 
earnest  desire  for  a  regular  minister,  especially  among  the  Tul- 
pehocken  congregations)  to  continue  working  under  the  yoke 
which  I  had  borne  so  long.  This  continued  for  a  short  time 
when  a  dear  man,  my  hearty  and  friendly  fellow-brother,  Mr. 
John  Philip  Leydich^^*  arrived.  Then  it  was  found  suitable  and 
he  was  also  willing  to  take  my  place.  Hence  at  the  Coetus  of 
this  present  year,  just  as  Do.  Hochreutner  accepted  his  call  to 
Lancaster,  Do.  Bartholomie  to  Dolpihacken,  so  also  Do.  Ley- 
dich  at  the  same  time  his  call  to  Falckner  Schwam  and  Provi- 

December  16,  1743;  commissioned  for  Pennsylvania  November  15, 
1747;  viras  appointed  as  pastor  at  Lancaster,  but  shot  himself  accidentally 
October  14,  1748.  His  introductory  sermon,  which  he  intended  to 
preach  at  Lancaster  was  published  by  Schlatter  in  1748,  as  a  quarto  of 
15  pages,  printed  by  Johann  Boehm  at  Philadelphia.  For  a  reproduc- 
tion of  the  title  page  see  Dr.  Dubbs'  Reformed  Church  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, p.  159. 

John  Dominions  Carolus  Bartholomaeus  was  born  December  13, 
1723,  at  Heidelberg,  of  Catholic  parents;  was  educated  at  Heidelberg 
and  at  Franecker,  Holland;  licensed  September  4,  1747,  by  the  Classis  of 
Franecker;  ordained  and  commissioned  for  Pennsylvania  November 
15,  1747;  came  to  Pennsylvania,  in  company  of  Hochreutner;  installed 
as  pastor  of  Tulpehocken,  October  16,  1748;  officiated  there  1748-1752; 
in  the  latter  year  he  lost  his  mind ;  was  for  many  years  confined  to  a 
hospital  in  Philadelphia,  where  he  died  July  28,  1768. 

""John  Philip  Leydich  was  born  at  Girkhausen,  Westphalia, 
April  28,  1715,  the  son  of  the  Rev.  Leonhard  L.  Leydich;  was  commis- 
sioned by  the  Synod  of  South  Holland  in  July,  1748;  arrived  at  Phila- 
delphia September  15,  1748;  was  installed  as  pastor  of  Falkner  Swamp 
and  Providence,  October  16,  1748;  officiated  as  pastor  of  Falkner 
Swamp,  1748-1765;  at  Providence,  1748-1784;  at  Vincent,  1753-1765;  at 
Coventry,  1768-1784;  at  Upper  Milford  and  Salisbury,  1766-1771;  at 
Pottstown,  1770-1784.  He  died  after  a  long  and  useful  ministry,  Janu- 
ary 14,  1784,  and  was  buried  in  what  is  known  as  Lydig's  Burying 
Ground.  For  the  inscription  on  his  tomb-stone  see  Dotterer,  Perkio- 
men  Region,  I,  54 ;  for  his  history  see  Dotterer,  Historical  Notes,  pp. 
2f;  50f;  59f. 

29 


450  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

denz.  Then  I  was  commissioned  by  the  Reverend  Coetus  to 
install  Do.  Leydich  and  Do.  Bartholomie  in  their  service  at 
their  several  places.  Do.  Slatter  assumed  the  duty  to  install 
Do.  Hochreutner  at  Lancaster.  I  carried  out  my  commission 
on  the  i6th  of  October  at  Falckner  Schwam  and  on  the  23rd 
of  October  at  Dolpihacken.  The  commission  of  Do.  Slatter 
was  not  carried  out  through  the  calamity  [befalling  Do.  Hoch- 
reutner]. 

One  other  thing,  Reverend  Sir!  When  Do.  Hochreutner 
and  Do.  Bartholomie  arrived  here  by  way  of  England  they 
brought  from  there  half  a  sheet  of  an  English  print,^-^  which 
was  shown  to  me,  but  was  not  given  into  my  hands.  In  it  I 
saw  that  the  Reverend  ministers  of  our  true  religion  in  Lon- 
don had  very  touchingly  presented  our  needy  condition  and 
asked  for  charitable  gifts,  whereupon  also  (according  to  Mr. 
Slatter's  statement  to  me)  90  guineas  came  in,  of  which  they 
gave  to  each  of  the  two  brethren  30  guineas  for  their  journey. 
The  other  30  guineas  they  had  kept  back  for  a  later  occasion. 

But  I  saw  in  it  also  that  the  old  servant,  who  for  more 
than  20  years  has  worked  so  laboriously  and  has  suffered  so 
severely  and  (because  of  the  poverty  existing  among  the  sheep) 
almost  at  his  own  expense,  surrendering  to  this  work  his  best 
years  which  he  owed  to  his  own  family,  laboring  thus  to  his 
own  detriment  in  worldly  things, — I  saw  that  he  was  not  even 
deemed  worthy  enough  to  have  his  name  mentioned  in  it,  but, 
referring  to  the  sheperdless  sheep,  it  was  stated :  "and  about 
the  year  1720,  they  had  but  one  who  was  a  layman". 

Now,  Reverend  Sir!  I  do  not  seek  any  temporal  honor, 
for  I  esteem  it  lightly.  It  is  enough  for  me,  if  I  have  the 
praise  of  my  master,  Jesus  Christ,  who  knows  my  heart.  How- 
ever, because  I  fear  that  I  shall  be  forgotten  in  the  distribu- 
tion of  the  charitable  gifts,  which  I  need  very  much  for  the 
support  of  my  family,  since  I  have  served  so  long  and  faith- 
fully almost  without  any  salary,  I  often  feel  sad,  yet  the  Lord 
will  provide  and  grant  me  my  modest  share.  But  I  saw, 
alongside  of  the  well  recommended  names  of  Do.  Hochreutner 
and  Do.  Bartholomie,  especially  the  name  of  Do.  Slatter  with 

^"  No    copy   of    this    English,    eight-page    circular,    has   thus    far 
come  to  light. 


LETTER  OF   1748  451 

this  remark,  that  all  the  charitable  gifts  could  be  safely  sent  to 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Slatter  (if  I  understood  it  correctly  in  my  reading 
over  it  very  rapidly).  About  this  Do.  Slatter  expressed  him- 
self as  follows:  "Do  you,  my  brother,  not  think  that  this 
should  be  a  great  joy  to  me,  that  I  am  thus  highly  commended 
and  that  all  the  charitable  gifts  shall  be  sent  and  entrusted 
to  me"? 

But,  my  Reverend  Sir,  allow  me  to  pour  out  my  heart  to 
you  in  the  confident  assurance  that  you  will  receive  it  as  well 
as  your  most  humble  fellow-servant  means  it  from  the  bottom 
of  his  heart  for  the  peace  of  the  Church  in  the  future  and 
for  the  preservation  of  a  God-pleasing  harmony  among  the 
brethren  of  our  most  holy  faith,  and  let  me  make  known  to 
you  my  sincere  opinion,  but  with  due  deference. 

Would  it  not  be  better  in  order  to  avoid  all  suspicion,  dis- 
cord and  disagreement  and  to  prevent  and  cut  off  every  seduc- 
tion of  the  brethren  by  the  evil  spirit  (for  if  the  least  dis- 
cord among  ministers  is  noticed  in  this  country,  there  is  no 
end  of  slander  among  the  sects  and  even  the  church  members 
take  offense  at  it,  so  that  he  whom  it  concerns  experiences 
great  annoyance  in  his  congregations),  if  all  the  charitable 
gifts,  which  are  to  be  given  as  salary  or  to  the  advancement 
of  our  still  needy  churches  in  this  country,  were  consigned 
to  the  Coetus,  which  even  the  President,  without  the  presence 
of  a  designated  number  of  his  fellow-brethren,  could  not  open, 
by  which  all  trouble  could  be  forever  avoided?  For  if  this 
duty  were  imposed  upon  me,  I  would  decline  it  and  not  aim 
for  this,  that  my  brethren  would  have  to  beg  for  that  which 
had  been  contributed  as  charitable  gifts  for  their  pressing  need. 
I  am  also  of  the  conviction  that  in  such  a  case  one  should  not 
be  interested  nor  have  an  exalted  opinion  of  oneself.  All  of 
which  I  submit  to  your  Reverence  for  your  devout  considera- 
tion, according  to  the  wisdom  and  love  granted  to  you  by  God 
and  for  our  peace,  such  as  is  well-pleasing  to  God. 

Now,  I  shall  not  conceal  from  your  Reverence  what  has 
tended  to  our  discord.  When  Do.  Slatter  was  installed  in  the 
congregation  at  Philadelphia,  I  described  to  his  Reverence  how 
everything  had  proceeded  so  peacefully  thus  far,  because  I 
had  conducted  everything  according  to  the  Church  Order, 
established  among  us,  and  I  expressed  the  hope  that  his  Rever- 


452  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

ence  would  continue  in  this  established  order,  for  his  own 
peace  and  welfare.  But  I  received  this  answer:  "I  have  my 
own  Church  Order  (that  was  the  one  of  St,  Gall)  and  is  not 
everyone  at  liberty  to  make  a  Church  Order.  I  told  him  that 
it  would  be  an  innovation,  to  which  he  answered,  that  he  had 
been  told  orally  in  Holland,  it  was  left  to  his  own  discretion. 
When  he  would  come  to  this  country  he  should  be  governed  by 
the  congregations  and  should  find  out  what  each  congregation 
preferred.  If  one  congregation  wanted  to  have  the  Swiss 
order,  it  could  have  it,  or  another  the  Dutch  order  likewise  so 
and  if  any  congregation  wanted  the  Palatinate  order,  he  should 
let  them  have  it.  I  answered  him,  that  it  was  difficult  for  me 
to  believe  that,  for  that  would  not  make  our  congregations  in 
Pennsylvania  real,  intimate  sisters,  but  only  stepsisters,  yet  I 
was  forced  to  believe  it. 

Meanwhile  he  [Schlatter]  uses  constantly  his  St.  Gall 
Church  Order,  and,  because  in  its  formulas  of  baptism  and 
communion  as  well  as  in  the  marriage  formula  and  the  in- 
stallation of  elders,  it  appears  as  strange  and  unusual  to  the 
people,  I  have  often  been  asked  with  surprise  and  disapproval, 
why  this  was  done,  but  I  have  never  given  much  of  an  answer 
to  this  question.  Hence  it  would  be  useful  and  very  fine,  if 
we  were  given  the  instruction  to  adhere  only  to  all  the  for- 
mulas of  unity,  which  are  not  only  in  the  Palatinate  Church 
Order  (of  which  there  are  a  few  copies  in  this  country)  but 
also  in  almost  all  our  Reformed  hymn  books,  which  I  also 
signed  with  my  own  hand  when  I  received  the  holy  ordination 
in  New  York  on  November  23,  1729.  Nor  can  I  forget  the 
duties  which  I  then  assumed,  for  the  section  referring  to  this 
reads  as  follows: 

"Also  in  reference  to  the  Church  Order  sent  by  the  Penn- 
sylvania brethren  to  the  Reverend  Classis,  and  by  that  body 
approved,  and  now  enlarged,  as  above,  that  the  newly  chosen 
members  of  the  consistory  shall,  from  year  to  year,  before 
entering  upon  their  duties,  for  the  surer  performance  of  their 
engagements,  subscribe  all  this, — namely  to  adhere  strictly  to 
the  Heidelberg  Catechism,  the  Formulas  of  Unity  and  the 
[Acts  of  the]  Synod  of  Dort.  And  in  order  that  every  one,  in 
his  office  or  station,  may  obey  as  far  as  possible  the  foregoing 
rules,  these  church-ordinances  as  now  revised  by  the  Reverend 


LETTER  OF  1748  453 

Classis  of  Amsterdam,  shall  publicly  be  read  before  the 
churches  yearly,  when  a  new  consistory  is  chosen  and  or- 
dained". 

After  the  commissioned  elders  had  signed  this,  I  sub- 
scribed to  it  also,  as  follows : 

"So  also  in  testimony  of  all  this,  I,  Do.  Johann  Philips 
Boehm,  do  solemnly  declare  that  all  that  herein  concerns  me, 
I  will,  with  God's  help,  perform  to  the  best  of  my  ability,  sub- 
scribing my  name  hereto,  at  New  York,  November  i8,  1729. 

"Johann  Philips  Boehm". 

From  this  I  have  no  intention  to  depart  in  the  least  point, 
just  as  little  as  I  shall  refuse  to  show  the  most  submissive 
obedience,  if  the  Reverend  Christian  Synods  and  the  Reverend 
Classis  of  Amsterdam,  as  our  devout  Church  Fathers,  shall  add 
anything  to  it  for  the  best  interest  of  our  true  [Reformed] 
churches  in  Pennsylvania. 

To  this  end  I  believe,  without  wishing  to  dictate,  that  it 
would  be  very  useful  and  good  if  as  many  Palatinate  Church 
Orders  could  be  sent  to  this  country  as  there  are  congrega- 
tions, that  they  might  always  remain  in  the  churches  (or  at 
least  in  the  hands  of  each  minister)  and  I  doubt  not  that  every 
congregation,  if  they  cannot  be  sent  as  gifts,  would  without 
question  pay  for  them. 

If  we  were  directed  to  these  formulas  of  unity,  it  would 
have  its  good  results  and  this  undoubted  dispute  would  be 
made  impossible  in  the  future,  nor  would  it  be  necessary  to 
speak  of  that  which  is  past  and  thus  rouse  displeasure. 

Your  Reverence  was  pleased  to  write  that  the  congrega- 
tions are  now  offering  larger  salaries  than  formerly.  This  is 
true.  But  what  is  the  cause?  Your  Reverence  will  consider 
that  the  former  offer  was  made  years  ago,  while  at  present 
some  congregations,  to  which  people  have  moved,  have  become 
again  as  strong  as  formerly  and  have  now  more  means  and 
are  able  to  do  more.  Besides  there  are  now  congregations  in 
places  where  there  were  none  formerly.  How  I  went  to  work 
at  that  time  when  Do.  Dorsius  asked  me  (because  he  was  not 
able  and  made  all  kinds  of  excuses)  I  shall  now  relate  to  your 
Reverence. 

I  took  this  upon  me  even  in  the  most  severe  winter  season 


454  LETTERS  OF  B0EH:,I 

and  traveled  (as  can  be  seen  in  the  "Specification'V"^  to  be 
found  among  the  Pennsylvania  papers)  from  one  place  to 
another,  gathering  almost  everywhere  the  members  of  the 
congregations  (of  whom  there  were  in  many  places  not  one 
fourth  as  many  as  there  are  now)  and  announced  to  them  the 
pious  intention  of  the  Reverend  Church  Fathers,  the  only 
condition  being  that  they  wanted  to  know  how  much  every 
congregation  was  willing  and  able  to  give  to  the  fixed  salary 
of  a  minister,  and,  if  they  wanted  to  have  a  regular  minister  in 
their  congregation,  they  themselves  should  make  an  estimate. 
After  having  done  this,  they  had  to  give,  in  my  presence,  to 
their  elders  and  deacons  full  authority  to  sign  this  statement 
in  their  name,  that  it  was  their  will  and  command  and  would 
surely  be  kept,  which,  in  case  of  failure,  could  have  been  ob- 
tained through  the  help  of  the  civil  authorities,  for,  if  it  stands 
on  such  a  footing,  no  congregation  would  allow  a  claim  to  be 
made.  Thus  the  deacons  learn  to  admonish  the  members  (in 
accordance  with  Art.  15  of  the  constitution)  especially  those 
who  are  still  being  added  to  the  congregations. 

That  I  still  have  this  in  mind  and  aim  for  it,  can  be  seen 
by  your  Reverence  from  the  7th  item  in  the  minutes  of  the 
Coetus,  but  I  go  still  farther !  It  might  happen  that  a  minister 
would  go  away  on  a  journey  or  die,  in  such  a  case  the  con- 
gregation is  entitled  to  call  another  pastor.  If  at  that  time  the 
congregation  would  not  do  the  right  thing  and  their  minister 
would  get  a  call  to  another  place  and  leave  them  (which  no  one 
could  take  ill  of  him)  they  would  be  deprived  of  their  minister. 
Before  they  would  allow  this  to  take  place  (especially  if  they 
liked  their  minister),  they  would  rather  do  their  best  to  keep 
him.  Thus  the  best  interests  of  our  churches  here  could  be 
secured  by  and  by  with  love  and  without  any  odious  com- 
pulsion. Moreover,  if  we  proceeded  cautiously  through  such  a 
process,  our  pious  Church  Fathers  could  in  a  few  years  be 
relieved  from  the  heavy  burden  of  securing  a  gracious  addition 
to  our  salaries,  if  not  altogether  at  least  partly  and  in  time  fully 
in  the  congregations  now  really  in  existence.  And  if,  contrary 
to  our  expectation,  obstinacy  and  wickedness  manifested  them- 
selves, it  would  be  natural  that  they  would  have  to  pay  him 

™  See  pp.  285-298. 


LETTER  OF   1748  455 

who  left  them  the  arrears  in  his  salary,  to  which  they  could 
be  legally  compelled  through  their  [written]  obligation.  All 
of  which  I  regarded  formerly,  according  to  my  simple  way  of 
thinking,  as  very  useful,  and  I  still  consider  it  so  at  this  present 
time.  But  I  wish,  that,  in  order  to  labor  still  more  and  better 
in  this  work  of  the  Lord,  all  serviceable  information  might  be 
given  to  me,  which,  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart,  I  shall  always 
receive  humbly  but  also  gladly  and  willingly  and  act  accord- 
ingly, and,  even,  if  I  were  not  the  president,  I  would  fra- 
ternally assist  you  and  willingly  serve  you. 

Now,  Reverend  Sir,  let  me  not  forget  my  own  small  con- 
gregation, newly  organized,  nor  myself,  but  let  me  give  you  a 
simple  recital  as  to  why  it  was  begun. 

When  Do.  Slatter  had  come  to  this  country  and  had  made 
his  visit  to  the  country  congregations,  according  to  his  com- 
mission, he  stopped  with  me  on  his  return. 3-"  Then  I  gave  him 
to  understand  that  I  was  afraid,  that,  in  view  of  my  years  and 
the  many  fatigues  which  I  had  borne,  I  would  not  be  able-  to 
stand  it  much  longer,  as  I  could  well  feel;  hence  I  desired 
heartily,  that  my  great  burden,  borne  so  long,  might  be 
lessened,  for  at  the  time  I  was  almost  incapacitated  from  work. 
His  Reverence  asked  me  to  make  a  proposition  with  re- 
gard to  it.  Then  I  explained  to  him,  that,  as  he  knew,  Schip- 
bach  had  scattered  of  itself  and  was  no  more,  but  that  at  Old 
Goschenhoppen,  four  miles  above,  a  union  church  had  been 
built  with  the  Lutherans.  From  that  place  to  Germantown 
was  24  miles,  where  no  services  were  held.  Almost  in  the 
center  was  my  own  home,  and  I  knew  that  round  about  me 
Reformed  people,  desirous  for  their  own  true  worship,  were 
living. 

Then  I  asked  him,  whether  he  did  not  regard  it  as  ad- 
visable to  establish  a  Reformed  congregation  in  this  district? 
Yet  with  this  condition,  that  it  should  become  one  of  the  con- 
gregations standing  under  the  supervision  of  the  devout  Church 
Fathers  in  Holland,  so  that  it  might  not  be  abandoned  after 
my  death,  otherwise  it  would  not  be  worth  while  to  organize  it, 
in  view  of  the  few  days  of  my  life. 

'"  This  visit  of  Schlatter  in  Whitpain  took  place  on  October  20, 
1746;  see  Life  of  Schlatter,  p.  141. 


456  .  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

But  if  he  regarded  it  advisable  and  knew  of  a  plan  for  it 
and  if  he  thought  that  I  would  be  supported  in  it,  so  that  I 
could  live  according  to  my  need,  then  I  would  like  to  be  more 
quiet  in  my  old  age  and  would  be  satisfied  with  this,  at  first 
small,  congregation  and  thus  spend  my  life  in  the  service  of  the 
Lord.  Then  his  Reverence  assured  me,  that  I  would  not  be 
abandoned,  and  that  he  would  mention  this  case  as  favorably 
as  possible  in  his  report.  He  also  found,  that  it  was  necessary 
and  very  advantageous  to  plant  a  congregation  in  this  district, 
because  of  the  great  distance  from  other  places,  and  he  thought 
that  in  time  means  could  be  found  to  take  care  of  this  con- 
gregation after  my  death.^^^  For  the  time  would  come  when 
Philadelphia  would  want  to  have  its  own  minister.  Then,  when 
Germantown  also  would  get  its  minister,  it  could  be  so  arranged 
that  he  could  preach  on  certain  Sundays  to  the  congregation  at 
Witpen,  which  is  a  distance  of  lo  miles  on  a  good  road.  Thus 
it  could  be  supplied  after  my  death. 

To  this  end  he  [Schlatter]  came  and  preached  on  the  3rd 
of  February,  1747,  in  my  house^-^  but  it  was  cold  and  only  few 
people  assembled.  However,  we  elected  three  elders.  Do. 
Slatter  then  wrote  down  what  each  one  was  willing  to  give  to 
the  annual  salary.  It  amounted  to  6  pounds  and  3  shillings. 
Do.  Slatter  declared  this  to  be  too  little.  A  congregation  ought 
to  give  at  least  15  pounds,  otherwise  he  could  not  report  it  as 
a  congregation.  I  pitied  the  souls  who  were  sad  about  this, 
for  although  they  were  few,  yet  they  were  dear  and  eager  for 
salvation.  I  asked  him  to  report  them,  and  I  oflfered  to  serve 
them  for  15  pounds  [annually].  Then  his  Reverence  continued 
and  organized  the  congregation  fully.  I  pledged  myself  to  con- 
duct divine  services  regularly  every  two  weeks,  which  I  do 
heartily,  and  if  I  am  at  home  and  have  no  other  religious  ser- 
vice elsewhere,  I  preach  for  them  every  Sunday.  I  then 
advised  my  brethren  in  order  to  increase  the  salary  somewhat, 

**'  Schlatter  himself  supplied  Witpen,  after  Boehm's  death.  Thus 
on  November  1,  1750,  he  says:  "I  traveled  sixteen  miles  from  here  to 
Witpen — a  congregation  vi^hich  I  am  accustomed  to  visit  once  a  month 
since  the  death  of  Do.  Boehm — where,  on  this  visit,  I  administered 
the  Holy  Supper  to  thirty-six  members."    See  Life  of  Schlatter,  p.  194. 

""For  the  early  history  of  the  Witpen  (now  Boehm's)  Church, 
see  pp.  75-77. 


LETTER  OF  1748  457 

since  we  have  no  poor  [to  take  care  of]  in  this  country  (for 
all  the  poor  must  be  supported  by  the  township  to  which  they 
belong,  according  to  the  order  of  the  government)  to  call  our 
alms  a  contribution  and  use  it  for  the  salary  of  the  minister, 
which  they  approved  (Do.  Slatter  likewise)  and  resolved  to 
act  accordingly.  During  the  last  year  it  amounted  to  three 
pounds  and  some  shillings. 

If  the  strong  congregations  in  this  country  were  without 
debts  on  account  of  the  building  of  the  churches,  this  would 
be  excellent  help,  and  they  would  be  able  at  many  a  place  to 
contribute  six  times  as  much  as  now,  which  in  time  may  be 
hoped  for. 

We  at  Witpen  built  meanwhile  a  little  stone  church  on  an 
acre  of  land,  which  was  bought  and  well  insured.  On  the  inside 
the  church  is  30  feet  long  and  27  feet  wide.  According  to 
agreement  I  can  apply  40  pounds  to  this  purpose,  which  money 
I  had  collected  in  New  York  as  early  as  October,  1735,  intended 
for  a  church  lot  for  the  now  scattered  congregation  at  Schip- 
bach.  But  the  church  has  cost  in  reality  more  than  70  pounds. 
It  is  well  made,  with  durable  walls  and  roof,  door  and  shutters. 
It  is  still  without  windows  and  inside  devoid  of  all  neessary 
furniture,  so  that  more  than  50  pounds  may  well  be  needed. 
But  we  cannot  help  ourselves,  as  there  are  but  few  of  us  and 
without  any  means.  Hence,  we  would  rather  go  into  the 
church  as  it  is,  as  we  have  done  throughout  the  whole  sum- 
mer, and  sit  on  the  bare  floor  or  on  logs  of  wood,  rather  than 
make  debts,  because  if  we  did  that  I  would  have  to  suffer  most. 
For  to  have  debts  of  such  a  kind  in  a  congregation,  especially 
if  there  are  poor  people,  is  too  hard  a  thing,  as  I  have  already 
experienced  at  Falckner  Schwam  and  at  almost  all  other  places. 

We  can  see  this  now  especially  at  Philadelphia.  There  they 
began  three  years  ago  to  build  a  church  upon  a  very  expensive 
but  beautiful  place,  bought  with  borrowed  money.  As  their 
pastor  at  the  time  I  laid  the  cornerstone  of  this  building.^^" 

**"  This  was  a  six-cornered  church.  With  reference  to  it,  Mr. 
Schlatter  has  made  the  following  entry  in  the  church  record :  "On  the 
6th  of  December  [1747],  that  is,  on  the  second  Sunday  of  Advent, 
the  writer  of  this,  Michael  Schlatter,  pastor  here,  preached  for  the 
first  time  in  the  six-cornered  stone  church  of  the  Reformed  congre- 
gation on  Race  Street,  from  the  words  of  David  in  Psalm  65:5,  with 


458  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

We  intended  to  begin  very  modestly,  because  we  had  no  means. 
Meanwhile  Do.  Slatter  arrived  and  became  their  minister,  as 
has  already  been  related.  He  at  once  took  up  the  work  in  an 
expensive  manner  and  it  will  be  an  exceptionally  beautiful 
church.  But  what  is  gained?  They  have  debts  on  their  place 
and  borrowed  money  on  interest,  so  that  their  actual  debts, 
according  to  their  own  statement,  amount  to  more  than  600 
pounds,  although  they  themselves  have  contributed  a  con- 
siderable sum.  Meanwhile  the  workmen  (as  is  proper)  want 
to  be  paid  and  now  they  must  borrow  more  money  on  interest, 
if  they  do  not  want  the  workmen  to  handle  them  too  severely. 
For  the  English  people  make  short  work  in  case  of  debts.  They 
seize  the  people  who  have  put  them  to  work  (these  are  twelve 
men,  in  part  not  well-to-do)  and  who  are  under  bond,  and 
throw  them  into  prison  very  quickly. 

Now  they  want  to  make  Do.  Slatter  responsible  for  it, 
who  had  advised  them  to  do  so  and  had  promised  to  write  to 
Switzerland  and  everywhere  else  for  contributions.  But  now 
they  can  see  no  evidence  of  an  urgent  appeal  when  they  are 
deep  in  debt.  This  has  caused  his  Reverence  much  worry  and 
has  given  him  much  to  contend  with.  As  I  know  these  people 
and  am  acquainted  with  their  condition  and  manner  of  action,  I 
cannot  think  otherwise  than  that  there  will  be  an  exceedingly 
sad  outcome,""^  unless  they  get  vigorous  help  from  outside 
and  will  thus  be  saved.  Otherwise  the  result  will  not  be  good, 
which  would  grieve  me  in  my  soul,  for  the  sake  of  his  Rev- 
erence and  my  former,  dear  congregation.  Therefore,  I  heartily 
invoke  for  myself,  for  my  own  as  well  as  for  all  other  con- 

the  divine  grace  and  assistance.  But  the  church  was  not  yet  plastered, 
and  it  had  at  the  time  neither  gallery  nor  windows."  In  September, 
1748,  a  Swedish  traveler,  Peter  Kahn,  visited  Philadelphia.  He  gives 
the  following  description  of  this  Reformed  Church:  "The  German 
Reformed  Church  is  built  in  the  west,  northwest  part  of  the  town,  and 
looks  like  the  church  in  the  Ladugoord  field  near  Stockholm.  It  is 
not  yet  finished,  though  for  several  years  together  the  congregation  has 
kept  divine  service  in  it."  See  Kalm's  Travels  into  North  America, 
Engl.  Transl.,  Warrington,  1770,  p.  41. 

'"  The  outcome  was  what  Boehm  feared,  a  quarrel.  The  financial 
difficulties,  caused  by  the  expensive  church  building,  were  one  of  the 
causes  of  the  Schlatter-Steiner  controversy.  See  Dr.  Good's  History, 
pp.   376-390. 


LETTER  OF   1748  459 

gregations  of  our  true  Church  in  this  country,  the  grace  of  our 
dear  Lord  and  His  compassionate  blessing.  Especially  and 
above  all  proper  care  should  be  taken  of  the  faithful  shepherds, 
who  otherwise  must  administer  their  office,  at  least  for  a  while, 
in  want  of  bodily  food,  because  their  sheep  are  at  present  still 
naked,  yea  some  would  not  be  able  to  endure  it  much  longer. 

May,  therefore,  the  almighty  and  merciful  God,  who  at 
last,  after  so  much  sighing  and  weeping,  has  heard  those  whom 
he  knows,  in  so  far  at  least  that  he  turned  the  hearts  of  our 
devout  Church  Fathers  to  them,  may  He  continue  to  do  so, 
for  they  not  only  themselves,  but  by  their  powerful  appeals 
also  in  our  behalf  among  the  pious  and  divinely  blessed  brethren 
of  our  faith,  are  able  to  accompHsh  the  best  results  for  us, 
their  destitute  Reformed  children  in  Pennsylvania,  which  the 
Director  of  all  pious  hearts  is  now  showing  to  His  faithful 
servants  and  has  made  evident,  by  inclining  them  by  His 
grace  strongly  towards  us.  I  shall  constantly  upon  my  knees, 
through  humble  prayer  in  thanksgiving  and  praise,  implore 
the  dear  Lord,  that,  through  the  powerful  operation  of  His 
Holy  Spirit,  He  will  continue  to  incline  your  hearts  towards 
us.  Consider  moreover,  that  in  all  this  holy  work  we  have  to 
do  with  Jesus,  who  is  our  only  salvation,  and  who  will  accept 
that  done  unto  His  humblest  brethren  as  done  unto  himself. 
W;P  hope  also,  without  any  doubt  and  with  firm  faith,  that  the 
reward  of  all  faithful  servants  of  God,  who  labor  diligently  in 
this  work  of  propagating  the  true  Church  of  God,  will  be  the 
eternal  crown  of  glory  in  the  blessed  eternity,  to  the  praise 
and  honor  of  our  God  here  and  hereafter  without  ceasing. 

Now,  Reverend  Sir,  as  I  have  referred  above  to  the 
introduction  of  a  number  of  innovations,  in  order  that  you 
may  not  think  that  I  consider  a  harmful  innovation  something 
which  is  not  such,  I  shall  relate  several  to  you,  very  simply, 
namely : 

When  Do.  Slatter  was  hardly  installed  in  Philadelphia,  he 
did  not  even  ask  for  the  constitution  and  the  church  record 
which  had  been  kept  there  thus  far.  for  which  reason  I  re- 
tained it  in  my  hands,  because  I  noticed  that  he  was  not  willing 
to  pay  any  regard  to  that  which  had  been  done,  and  for  fear  that 
some  of  the  written  agreements,  embodied  therein,  might  even 
be  destroyed  and  also  because  I  wanted  to  see  what  would 


460  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

be  the  outcome  there.  I  determined  to  preserve  it  in  some  way, 
especially  because  the  people  in  Philadelphia  have  thus  far  not 
given  his  Reverence  a  regular  call.  It  would  take  too  long  to 
relate  at  length  why  this  was  omitted. 

It  was  the  order  and  custom  in  this  congregation  as  in 
others  to  have  four  elders  and  two  deacons  in  service,  together 
with  the  minister,  of  whom  every  year  two  elders  and  one 
deacon  passed  out  of  service  (if  it  was  at  all  feasible)  and  two 
new  elders  and  one  deacon  came  in,  according  to  the  regula- 
tion of  the  constitution. 

But  his  Reverence  made  the  number  at  once  twelve,  of 
whom  six  were  elders  and  six  deacons,  adding  to  those  in  office 
enough  to  make  up  that  number.  Then  he  installed  them  all 
anew,  those  who  were  in  service  as  well  as  those  newly  elected. 
This  he  did  in  the  Lutheran  church,  where  his  Reverence 
preached  (I  was  present),  using  the  following  ceremony: 

All  of  them  had  to  stand  in  a  row,  he  standing  before  them, 
reading  (the  installation  service)  and  making  a  lengthy  address 
to  them.  Then  he  laid  his  hands  upon  their  heads,  two  and  two 
at  the  same  time,  giving  the  one  his  right  hand  and  to  the 
other  his  left,  etc.  All  of  this  was  not  in  harmony  with  the 
formula  in  the  Dutch  Bible,  to  which  I  had  been  directed.  Nor 
did  I  regard  it  as  proper  that  the  elders  and  deacons  already 
in  service  were  treated  like  the  newcomers.  That  meant 
clearly  to  declare  invalid  and  to  despise  the  installation  of  the 
elders  in  office,  which  had  been  performed  by  me  according  to 
the  formula  in  the  Dutch  Bible.  However,  as  no  one  was 
present  who  thought  about  this  matter,  I  kept  quiet  for  the 
sake  of  peace,  although  I  felt  much  grieved  about  it  in  my 
heart. 

Moreover,  (to  pass  by  several  other  things)  when  Do. 
Leydich  had  accepted  his  call  to  Falkner  Schwam  and  Provi- 
denz,  after  the  Coetus  had  been  held,  where  all  present  had 
obligated  themselves  (as  can  be  seen  in  the  minutes)  to  act  ac- 
cording and  adhere  firmly  to  the  Church  Order  (Do.  Leydich 
was  at  that  time  staying  in  Germantown)  Do.  Slatter  held  the 
communion  on  October  9th,  at  Philadelphia.  He  asked  Do. 
Leydich  to  assist  him  in  it.  The  latter  did  not  know  the  least 
about  the  order  or  the  custom  which  had  been  followed  in  this 
country.    Do.  Slatter  ordered  him  to  hold  up  the  cup  with  his 


LETTER  OF  1748  461 

outstretched  arm  during  the  reading  of  the  liturgy  while  he 
did  the  same  with  the  bread,  holding  it  in  one  hand.  Your 
Reverence  can  imagine  what  talk  this  caused  among  the  people, 
for  no  Reformed  member  had  ever  seen  a  Reformed  minister 
act  in  such  a  manner,  except  indeed  the  idolatrous  masspriests, 
who  lift  up  the  monstrance  in  that  way,  when  the  people,  who 
live  in  darkness,  strike  their  breast. 

Now,  when  Do.  Leydich  learned  later  on  that  this  was 
here  among  us  a  strange  innovation  and  a  ceremony  which  none 
had  ever  seen  and  that  he  had  been  used  to  introduce  it,  I 
found  him  much  displeased  about  this  matter  and  very  sad, 
when  I  installed  him  at  Falckner  Schwam  on  the  i6th  of  Oc- 
tober, as  stated  above.  I  also  saw  some  elders  there  much 
dissatisfied.  How  I  felt,  especially  because  of  the  many  strange 
remarks  which  I  had  to  hear  here  and  there  about  it,  I  leave 
to  your  Reverence  to  imagine. 

Suppose  even  that  there  were  places  in  this  world  where 
such  things  were  customary,  although  we  know  of  none,  yet 
here  in  our  true  churches,  which  among  the  many  confused 
sects  are  exposed  to  sufficient  temptations  through  all  kinds  of 
strange  ceremonies,  such  things  ought  to  be  carefully  avoided 
and  we  should  adhere  to  the  usual  order  prescribed  to  us, 
which  our  sainted  predecessors  as  regents  of  our  pure  Church 
introduced  and  which  are,  without  question,  modelled  in  har- 
mony with  the  Word  of  God,  and,  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  we 
should  continue  with  their  constant  observance. 


1748,  DECEMBER  2nd, 
Mr.  Lischy  came  to  me  to  see  me.  He  related  that  he 
had  preached  last  Sunday  at  the  Modenhrik  [Muddy  Creek], 
where  there  were  two  large,  beautiful  congregations.  The 
people  there  were  very  zealous  and  steadfast  in  our  Reformed 
religion  and  doctrine.  He  had  supplied  them  thus  far,  but 
because  of  his  manifold  labors  across  the  Susquehanna,  among 
his  own  congregations,  and  because  of  the  great  distance,  it 
was  almost  impossible  for  him  to  do  so.  They  had,  therefore, 
concluded  to  send  two  elders  with  him  to  his  Reverence,  Do. 
Leydich,  at  Falckner  Schwam,  who  is  30  miles  from  Moden- 
krik,  to  learn  whether  Do.  Leydich  would  take  the  trouble  to 


462  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

visit  them  once  a  month  on  a  weekday,  in  order  that  the  con- 
gregations might  be  supplied  until  God  would  send  more  help. 
To  this  end  they  had  been  with  Do.  Leydich  yesterday,  who, 
after  considering  the  question  whether  it  was  possible  for  him 
to  do  so,  had  consented.  Furthermore,  Do.  Lischy  related  to 
me,  that  on  his  journey  downwards  he  had  been  with  Do. 
Rieger  and  other  good  friends  at  Lancaster,  where  he  heard 
from  several  persons,  that  Do.  Slatter,  when  he  preached  there 
on  November  13th  last,  had  insisted  (as  had  been  suggested 
to  them  of  late)  that  they  should  give  Mr.  Rieger  satisfaction 
regarding  the  things  that  had  happened  between  Mr.  Rieger 
and  themselves. 

Whereupon  they  demanded  that  they  be  shown  anything  in 
which  they  had  offended  him,  and  as  long  as  that  could  not  be 
done  and  as  they  themselves  did  not  know  of  anything,  there 
was  no  need  of  such  an  act.  Moreover,  they  did  not  conceal 
from  his  Reverence  that  they  would  have  nothing  to  do  with 
Mr.  Rieger,  and,  because  he  had  intercourse  with  all  kinds  of 
sects,  they  could  not  regard  him  as  a  true  Reformed  man, 
much  less  as  a  Reformed  minister  and  would  not  tolerate  such 
a  minister  in  their  congregation.  They  would  rather  help 
themselves  as  well  as  they  could,  hoping  that  through  the 
grace  of  God  they  would  not  be  left  helpless. 

Further,  Mr.  Lischy  related  to  me  that  he  had  spoken  with 
Mr.  Rieger  in  his  home.  He  had  told  him  that  he  had  been 
present  of  late  at  the  preaching  services  and  the  love  feast  of 
the  Seventh  Day  Dunkers  in  their  cloister.  He  had  been 
touched  with  strange  feelings.  What  good  words  they  had 
spoken,  what  edifying  discourses  they  had  held,  indeed  what 
exceptionally  pious  people  they  were ! 

He  also  intended  to  put  a  child  in  this  cloister  to  have  it 
educated  there.  To  that  end  he  had  to  urge  them  very  much 
until  they  consented  to  receive  it.  It  was  no  easy  matter,  but 
finally  he  had  received  a  letter  from  Peter  Miller  (this  is  the 
well  known  Miller,  who  long  ago  preached  to  the  Reformed 
people  in  Pennsylvania  and  then  went  over  to  the  Seventh 
Day  Dunkers,  was  baptised  in  Dunker  fashion  and  became  such 
a  disgrace).  He  [Rieger]  gave  Lischy  the  letter  to  read.  In 
it  Miller  notified  Rieger  that  he  had  resolved  to  receive  his 
child  into  the  cloister.    A  small  room  had  already  been  gotten 


LETTER  OF  1748  463 

ready  for  it  and  some  one  had  been  appointed  to  have  charge 
of  the  child.  He  could  bring  it  when  it  suited  him.  He  should 
bring  only  bedding  along.  The  pleasure  which  Rieger  showed 
made  him  [Lischy]  think  that  he  really  took  the  child  there 
this  week.  J.  Ph.  BoEhm. 


[XLVI.     TITLE    PAGE    AND    PREFACE    TO    THE    CHURCH 
ORDER  OF  1748.] 

Church  Order 
of  the  Reformed  Churches 
in   Pennsylvania 
which 
in  the  year  1725,  was  drawn  up  by  D.  Johan  Philipp  Boehm,  then  unani- 
mously elected  minister  of  the  assembled  members  of  the  Reformed 
churches,  read  before  the  assembled  members,  considered  as  good  and 
useful  by  all  members  and  willingly  accepted  by  them.     After  the  elec- 
tion of  the  necessary  elders  and  with  their  unanimous  counsel  handed 
for  correction  to  the 

Very  Reverend  and   Very  Learned  Sirs, 
The    Corresponding   Ministers   of   the   Very   Reverend    Classis   of 
A^nsterdani, 
Gualterus   Du   Bois   and   Hericus    Boel 
of  New  York  and 
Vincentius  Antonides  of  Long  Island,  who 
transmitted  it  to  the  above  named  Very  Reverend  Classis  of  Amster- 
dam ;    recognized   and   permitted   by  the   Reverend   Assembly  as   good 
and    lawful.      Thereafter    also    established    in    the    congregations    then 
organized.     Various  Reformed  congregations  submitting  to  this  Order 
have  hitherto  been  governed  in  good  peace. 
But  inasmuch  as 
the  Coetus  of  the  Reformed  Churches  in  Pennsylvania,  granted  by  the 
Very  Reverend  and  Christian  Synods  of  South  and  North  Holland,  at 
its  last  regular,  annual  session,  held  on  September  28,  1748,  in  Phila- 
delphia,  recognized   this   Church   Order,   brought  before   it,   as   useful 
and    salutary,    the    Coetus    unanimously    resolved    to    issue    the    same 
through  public  print  for  the  profitable  information  of  every  member 
of  the  Reformed  churches.     To  carry  this  resolution   into  effect,  the 

whole  Reverend  Coetus  entrusted  it  to 
D.  Johann   Philipp   Boehm,   Minister  at  Falckner  Schwam,   Providenz 

and  Witpen,  p.  t.  Coetus  Praeses. 
Philadelphia,  printed  by  Gotthard  Armbriester,  residing  in  Arch  Street, 

1748. 


464  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

PREFACE.'^ 
TO  THE  PIOUS  AND  BELOVED  READER. 

A  lamp  is  not  lighted  and  put  under  a  bushel,  but  on  a 
stand,  and  it  shineth  unto  all  that  are  in  the  house. 

Thus  speaketh  the  mouth  of  truth,  our  perfect  Redeemer 
and  Saviour,  Jesus,  Matthew,  chapter  V,  verse  15. 

As  no  kingdom  or  government  can  exist  in  this  world, 
be  it  spiritual  or  temporal,  without  being  directed  by  good  and 
well  regulated  order,  of  which  the  Living  Word  tells  us : 

That  God  is  a  God  of  order  and  desires  that  everything 
be  done  orderly  [  i  Cor.  14  40] . 

Hence  an  order,  instituted  after  thewill  of  God,  in  spiritual 
as  well  as  in  temporal  affairs,  may  justly  be  compared  to  a 
light. 

Therefore,  such  a  light  and  order,  when  once  established, 
is  not  to  be  put  under  a  bushel  and  remain  hidden  or  obscured, 
but  on  a  stand,  to  make  it  visible  to  all  men,  in  order  that  such 
light  may  give  light  to  all  that  are  in  the  house,  and  that  the 
same  men,  who  are  under  such  government  and  in  such  a 
congregation,  where  order  ought  to  rule,  may  always  see  their 
obligation,  remember  their  duties  and  be  enabled,  by  the  grace 
of  God,  to  govern  their  life,  conduct  and  conversation  accord- 
ingly. 

This  is  an  indispensably  necessary  thing,  since  many  a 
kingdom  of  this  world  has  experienced  much  trouble  and 
tribulation  and  even  total  destruction  because  of  disorder  and 
the  wickedness  and  disregard  of  God's  law,  flowing  from  it,  of 
which  a  terrible  example  is  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  destroyed 
because  of  its  great  wickedness  and  disobedience.  The  same 
has  been  the  experience  of  the  Oriental  churches  in  Asia,  for 
which  God,  in  His  true,  eternal  love  and  grace,  had  set  up  on 
a  stand  the  clear  light  of  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  which, 

*"  One  copy  of  the  Church  Order  is  in  the  archives  at  The 
Hague,  of  which  two  photographic  reproductions  have  been  brought 
to  this  country.  The  other  known  copy  is  in  the  library  of  the  Histori- 
cal Society  of  Pennsylvania,  130O  Locust  Street,  Philadelphia. 


t  i~ 


t>tx  gicformievten  ^iv(l)ctt 

3m  S^lljt    1725.  ^DllD.    JOANN    PhILIPP   B0HM,fa^.  ' 

nj.iMs  veil  Deli  'ocifvminiclccu  (iyic&cv!)  Dcr  fJu'fovmi<rrfn  iiirctn'n  dnhclliu  evivtihucu  ' 
•prtbifltr  aufcitftcllctf  imb  wx  Per  iOicmic  Per  ©lii&fr  Mn-qcicfcji,  uicltfee  fl.'k  i^Jiicfefr  nrr 
jiuMitfi  11I1&  ijiit  r'ff)iitKii,  1111?  aiiit  rci.'lio  ttiinciioiimieii  !)t;'Ci;.    ojadj  ErnniblHng 

terii&;i)i.i!:tiii1)iarOi:!tertciiobcriin&  itiitijffammiliiiii'ii  M:\i  bf'rfcU'cii  ' 

$111  t)\i  \ 
VC^lyXdyxtcmhi'J.t  ttn&  /->od)CtcJd)rtc  i^aTCrt 

I  ©er  ^^0(f)^g*fHnplh'^H^^ll  CiafTc  ))^r\  Amftcrdam  , 
'         ^  Corrcfpondircntc  ^fcMcaiitcn^ 
iGuALTERUs  Du  Bois,  Hub  Henricus  Boel 

iiliO 

ViNCEXTivs  AxTONiDEs  v»pn  £aniicnQii)Iant» 

3m'  Ccnfur  tibcrgebcrt.  I 

'  !Diefc(bean  (;et>acl)te  i'^Dc!)'(gl)nDuituu*  Claflc  \^m  Am-  } 

ftejcli-iin  iibcvfuMcfr,  WW  bicfct  >Aod).ni|cb'iUd)fij  XJci)>.mnflii'r'-^  ■  ■•   ,-:  ■  -d  i 

I  flilttU*  ci'feiUici  ii!i?)  £r!<!iibf.  Hub  tiifniifflact)  Ifti  taint  aii'ncnittctcn  Wfr.i-                   j-.-  I 

let  nJoiDcii.    UnD  t»i;i't>cri  bis  l)iel)criKi|'*icbci!(  umcr  rii'ic  Ortiii!ii(^  |u})  -          ,   .  ,.  ' 

1                                 fDi'ii'.iwtc  WemcinPci!  in  ijiiicni  .jncDcii  rc^jici'u'.  i 

■                                                         Wcilcrt  .aber  ■ 

I  IO«&l■'on^;M^5od;»S^m■*^ll•^incnu!!D'ilMM|i!ichcll^i:n^!o^otu•Jll  Su^  utiC  ?iOiD> 

>   ^ol(ati6  tu'itviuintc  Catu-.  bet  Dicform.  .nirilicii in  WnnUhmtn,  bcsi  (eiit  ucnriificnc!!  2S  ctpr.  ' 

I     J>i|  r-iKilni  jahrii  in  I'hiU.K  ii.iii.i  iciiiei!  crbcmlirfi.Hiit)  /(5()i'i!(t(cii  eiB  oenolicn*  tiiib  M\<  \ 

I       Jomt.  iH-fniiiitgcina*(c  »{ird)C!i.rrbi!iin'H)or  niii;!iif)  iijib  l)ei)l|niii  aiwcmciuct,  fo  hat  • 

(          bi(|«5  e.  Citu,  cinrtimniiii  bc)ii)loiKii-  bicfclfej  \n  tmi  icbcn  (yiicbtj  bfi'  Sicforniicr-  \ 

I             «iiHir(t)ciuiHtiliilKnO?fltJ)iid:.t  oifciiiliAimiifiuf  jM  bctin'bcni;  ivdrt)<5  ju  t;--  » 

UHrcf ilcnictii  bnj  iiniii;c  iii)rmiirbi<u'  >-  onus  iihfrlnifcii,  an  \ 

D.  JoHANN   l-'iuLiiM'   iiofiM,   ']3l-cDii5Ci-  jiltll  ^sali.fiuT>^2:AtUH)iiI/ I'rovick'uz  \ 

imt)  Wirpcn,  i).  t.  Ctccus  i'i'a-(cs.  3 

pi)iUt>clpl>w/  gttJCiKtt  I)ti;  yoKljfli*  5H'm&yi((l<r,  WP[)iif)atFt  in  bci-  -Jli^i^eriMiT*/  t+s.  j 


i'.oehm's  coxstitution,  published  by  him  in  1748 


LETTER  OF  1748  465 

however,  refused  to  see  with  it,  but  through  contempt  and 
neglect  left  the  way  which  our  perfect  Redeemer  and  Saviour 
had  shown  them  with  this  light.  Wherefore  the  just  God,  who, 
because  of  His  righteousness,  cannot  leave  persistent  and 
obstinate  sinners  go  unpunished,  again  overturned  this  clear 
light,  so  that  now  their  descendants  lie  imprisoned  in  the 
darkness  of  the  Mohammedan  religion. 

Now,  dear  people,  it  is  sufficiently  known  to  us  all,  why 
Pennsylvania  was  formerly  a  land  in  which  no  light  of  the 
Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  was  to  be  seen,  until  at  last  it  pleased 
the  merciful  God  to  choose  it,  according  to  His  eternal  grace, 
in  order  to  plant  within  it  the  Gospel  of  His  Son;  and  hence 
he  awakened  men,  granted  them  intelligence  and  wisdom  to 
make  provision  that  it  be  inhabited  by  Christian  people.  Thus 
it  has  had  hitherto,  by  His  blessing,  such  a  growth,  that  it  is 
wonderful  to  contemplate,  and  is  still  growing  and  increasing, 
under  the  blessing  of  God.  This  appears  clearly  from  the  time 
that  the  following  Church  Order  was  established  to  conduct  our 
divine  services  orderly.  For  at  that  time  it  was  of  insignificant 
appearance,  but  now  at  this  time  it  is  much  more  favorably 
apparent  what  grace  God  has  shown  to  us. 

Especially  since  at  the  present  time  our  merciful  God  has 
inclined  the  hearts  of  our  devout  Church  Fathers  in  Holland, 
in  the  Very  Reverend  Christian  Synods  of  South  and  North 
Holland  and  in  the  Very  Reverend  Classis  of  Amsterdam,  to  us 
and  our  destitute  members,  so  that  with  a  sanctified  zeal  they 
sought  ways  and  means  and  found  them  at  last,  under  the 
blessing  of  God  (because  it  was  not  unknown  to  them,  that 
I,  as  the  first  Reformed  minister,  ordained  for  the  service  of 
God  in  this  country,  was  formerly  alone,  and  in  my  weakness 
was  unable  to  supply  all  because  of  the  great  extent  of  this 
country).  For  they  sent  us  in  the  year  1746,  at  their  own  ex- 
pense, the  Rev.  Michael  Slatter,  lately  minister  in  St.  Gall  in 
Switzerland  (who  left  everything  there  in  order  to  help  our 
churches  here  in  Pennsylvania)  as  their  commissioner.  They 
furthermore,  very  liberally,  offered  to  give  us  their  assistance, 
according  to  the  best  of  their  ability,  to  help  and  support  our 
Reformed  churches  here.  He  (Slatter)  was  also  ordered  to 
establish  a  regular,  annual  Coetus  with  the  ministers  now  in 
this  country,  and  with  their  assistance,  which  his  Reverence 

30 


466  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

faithfully  carried  out  and  it  (the  Coetus)  had  its  first  session 
in  the  year  1747,  on  September  29th. 

Whereupon  and  until  the  second  Coetus,  held  September 
28,  1748,  the  \^ery  Reverend  Christian  Synods  sent  us  three 
ministers,  namely  IMessrs.  John  Jacob  Hochreutner,  Dominicus 
Bartolomaeus  and  John  Philip  Leydich,  without  expense  to  our 
congregations,  which  three  ministers  took  their  seats  in  the 
second  Coetus  and,  in  the  fear  of  God,  assisted  in  the  delibera- 
tions, according  to  the  best  of  their  ability,  granted  to  them 
by  God,  regarding  the  well-being  of  our  churches.  They  also 
accepted  the  congregations  assigned  to  them  by  D.  Slatter  with 
the  consent  of  the  whole  Reverend  Coetus,  namely:  J\Ir.  Hoch- 
reutner the  congregation  at  Lancaster,  Mr.  Bartolomaei  the 
two  congregations  in  Dolpihacken  and  Mr.  Leydich  the  con- 
gregation at  Falckner  Schwam.  The  last  had  been  my  dear 
congregation,  entrusted  to  me  for  more  than  twenty-three 
years,  but  now,  because  of  the  approaching  disability  of  my 
old  age,  when  I  can  no  longer  venture  to  make  long  journeys, 
I  gladly  and  willingly  surrendered  it,  for  the  good  of  the  con- 
gregation, to  D.  Leydich,  together  with  the  new  congregation 
in  Providenz. 

As  each  one  [of  these  ministers]  saw  the  love  and  kind 
disposition  to  his  person,  of  the  congregations  assigned  to  him. 
they  accepted  them  in  the  name  of  God,  with  tears  yet  willingly, 
because  they  beheld  therein  the  providence  of  the  allwise  God, 
and  they  promised  to  look  after  them  as  their  spiritual  shep- 
herds, according  to  the  ability,  which  God  would  graciously 
grant  unto  them. 

For  this  we  are  bound  to  be  exceedingly  thankful,  next 
to  God,  to  our  Very  Reverend  and  Pious  Church  Fathers,  and 
we  feel  under  obligation  to  pray  most  humbly  before  God  for 
every  spiritual  and  bodily  blessing  to  come  upon  them,  for 
through  them  we  expect,  under  God's  blessing,  a  good  progress 
and  growth  of  our  churches.  We  must  confess  that  even  in 
eternity  we  cannot  thank  God  sufficiently  for  all  we  owe  to 
Him. 

But,  in  order  that  many  people  might  not  sin  against  our 
gracious  God,  out  of  ignorance,  by  despising  His  eternal  love 
and  provoking  His  wrath  upon  us  (so  that  he  might  take 
away  from  us  the  clear  light  of  the  Gospel  of  His  dear  Son 


LETTER  OF   1748  467 

and  punish  us  severely),  it  has  been  deemed  good  and  useful, 
after  full  deliberation  by  the  Reverend  Coetus,  to  issue 
through  public  print  this  Church  Order,  established  in  the  fear 
of  God  and  formulated  as  much  as  possible  in  accordance 
with  the  condition  of  the  province  of  Pennsylvania,  together 
with  all  the  transactions  and  resolutions  of  the  Reverend 
Coetus,  taken  on  the  28th  of  September,  1748,  in  brotherly  love 
and  unity,  as  in  the  presence  of  God.  Thus  each  member  of 
our  Church  can  see  it  without  hindrance  and  we  hope  that 
the  sincere  members  of  our  churches,  who  are  concerned  for 
their  own  salvation,  will  not  only  recognize  it,  with  the  entire 
Reverend  Coetus,  as  good  and  useful,  but,  as  all  the  members 
of  the  Reverend  Coetus  do  themselves,  they  will  also  submit  to 
it  with  true  and  dutiful,  churchly  obedience,  will  seek  to  direct 
their  life  and  conduct  in  accordance  with  it  and  through  orderly 
and  pious  behaviour  will  humbly  endeavor  to  secure  God's 
further  grace  and  blessing  for  their  bodies  and  especially  for 
their  immortal  souls. 

Since  then,  my  Beloved,  the  Reverend  Coetus  has  honored 
me,  their  unworthy  and  lowly  fellow-servant  and  co-laborer  in 
the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  issue  this  work  through  public 
print,  I  wanted  to  spare  no  pains  to  do  this  work  faithfully, 
according  to  my  humble  ability,  and  hence  I  have  provided  it 
with  this  brief  and  simple  introduction,  hoping  that  it  will  not 
displease  any  one  who  is  a  true  member  of  Christ  and  a  lover 
of  His  holy  Gospel. 

In  this  simplicity  of  my  heart,  and  yet  with  sincere  love 
to  God  and  His  Word,  which  is  alone  able  to  save,  and  seeking 
the  increase  of  the  Kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  the  eternal 
praise  of  the  almighty  Creator, 

I  wish  each  one  who  loves  Jesus  and  with  his  whole  heart 
is  attached  to  the  Gospel,  all  the  blessings  of  God,  profitable 
for  body  and  soul.  Amen. 

I  am  the  well-wisher  of  all  good  for  body  and  soul  to  each 
one  and 

Yours  Ready  for  Every  Service, 

JOHANN  Philipp  Boehm,  p.  t.  Pracscs. 


468  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

[XLVII.    CLASSICAL  DEPUTIES  TO  MR.  BOEHM, 
JUNE  2,  1749.="] 

To  the  Reverend  Mr.  Boehm,  Pastor  at  Witpen. 

Reverend,  Very  Learned  and  Much  Esteemed  Brother: — 

Although  we  have  answered  your  esteemed  letter  as  far  as 
seemed  necessary  in  our  letter  to  the  Reverend  Coetus,  we  nevertheless 
desire  to  add  this  one  as  proof  of  our  affection  and  esteem  for  you. 
We  have  been  induced  to  this  by  your  letter,  in  which  you  stated 
that  you  were  grieved  in  not  having  received  a  letter  from  us  in  a 
long  time,  and  that  you  feared,  that  the  old  servant  with  all  his  labors 
might  be  forgotten.  Our  silence  was  not  caused  by  want  of  love  and 
esteem  for  you,  but  we  must  practice  brevity  and  cannot  always  answer 
all  private  letters,  because  we  have  very  many  foreign  churches  and 
church  assemblies,  both  in  the  East  Indies  and  in  the  West  Indies.  Our 
Classis  corresponds  not  only  with  Pennsylvania  and  New  Netherlands, 
but  also  with  the  brethren  in  Surinam,  in  Ceylon,  in  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope  and  at  many  other  places. 

That  your  Reverence  still  desires  to  proceed  heartily  in  the 
work  of  the  Lord  pleases  us  very  much.  May  the  Great  Shepherd  sus- 
tain and  help  you,  and  enable  you  to  perceive  that  your  labors  are 
pleasing  to  Him  and  are  of  profit  and  saving  benefit  to  many  souls. 
That  you  at  present  minister  to  the  recently  established  and  yet  small 
church  of  Witpen,  we  trust  is  not  against  your  inclination,  or  to  your 
grief,  although  you  seem  to  express  yourself  somewhat  complainingly 
in  regard  to  it. 

May  the  Lord  enlarge  that  church  and  edify  it  through  your 
ministry  and  enable  you  to  persevere  with  joy,  in  the  cheerful  expec- 
tation of  the  reward  of  grace  to  God's  faithful  servants. 

Farewell,  Worthy  Brother.  We  commend  you  to  God  and  the 
Word  of  His  grace,  remaining  with  brotherly  affection  and  esteem. 

Your  obedient  servants  and  brethren,  the  members  of  the 
Qassis  of  Amsterdam, 

In  the  name  of  all, 
Martinus    Schnetlage,    CI.    Dep. 
John  Temminck,  CI.  h.  t.  Dep. 
Amsterdam,  June  2,  1749. 

^'"A  copy  of  the  original  is  in  the  Classical  Letter  Book,  Vol. 
XXX,  p.  157,  No.  95. 


APPENDIX 
I 


DOCUMENTS   RELATING   TO    MR.    BOEHM'S    DEATH    AND 
THE  DISPOSITION   OF  HIS   PROPERTY. 

[XLVIII.    NOTICES   OF  MR.  BOEHM'S   LAST  LABORS  AND 
DEATH,  1749.] 

Extracts  from  Schlatter's  Diary,  pp.  188-190. 

1749.  On  the  29th  [of  March],  I  received  letters  from  'Magunschy 
and  Egypt,  with  urgent  request  that  I  might  come  over  and  administer 
to  them  the  Holy  Supper.  At  this  time  Mr.  Boehm,  at  my  request, 
took  it  upon  himself  to  attend  to  the  wants  of  these  remote  congrega- 
tions. 

On  the  2nd  [of  May],  I  visited  Mr.  Leydich  in  Falkner  Schwam, 
a  distance  of  49  miles  from  thence  (Tulpehocken).  His  Reverence  had 
just  the  day  before  returned  from  a  visit  to  various  congregations. 
On  the  way,  I  heard  the  unexpected  news  of  the  sudden  death  of 
Mr.  Boehm,  which  occurred  in  the  house  of  his  oldest  son,  after  his 
Reverence  had  yet  on  the  previous  day  administered  the  Holy  Supper 
in  the  Egypt  congregation.  Thus  our  small  number  of  laborers  in 
this  great  harvest  was  again  made  less  by  this  stroke. 

On  the  7th  [of  May],  I  preached  at  Germantown,  not  without 
emotion,  a  funeral  sermon  on  the  death  of  'Mr.  Boehm,  the  oldest  of 
the  High  German  Reformed  ministers  in  this  country,  who  for  the 
space  of  many  years  had  to  serve  various  congregations,  and  whose 
memory  is  cherished  by  many  as  blessed. 


[XLIX.     OBITUARY    NOTICE    OF    MR.    BOEHM    IN    SAUR'S 
PAPER,  MAY  16,  1749.] 

Pennsylvanische  Berichte,   No.   108,   May   16,   1749. 

On  April  29th,  during  the  night,  the  Rev.  John  Philip  Boehm  died, 
without  previous  sickness,  for  on  the  day  before  he  held  a  preparatory 
service   for   the   Lord's   Supper.     It   so   happened   that   no   Reformed 


470  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

preacher  could  be  had  to  preach  his  funeral  sermon,  hence  they 
engaged  Martin  Kolb,  a  Mennonite  minister,  to  preach  the  funeral 
sermon.''^  If  such  things  become  customary  and  common,  without 
necessity  compelling  it,  the  envy  and  antagonism  of  parties  will  soon 
come  to  an  end.  How  beautiful  will  it  be  at  that  time  when  there  will 
be  one  shepherd  and  one  flock.    Till  then  patience! 


[LEGAL  PAPERS  RELATING  TO  THE  DISPOSITION  OF  MR, 
BOEHM'S  PROPERTY.] 

[L.    THE  WIDOW  RENOUNCING  HER  RIGHT  OF  ADMINIS- 
TRATION,  May  6,    1749.] 

Anna  Maria  Boehm,  widow  &  Relict  of  Jn°.  Philip  Boehm, 
Deced.,  Renounces  her  Right  of  Administration  on  the  Estate  of  the 
Deced. 

Witness  her  hand  &  seal  this  6th  May,  1749. 

Anna  Maria  Boehmin. 

[SEAL] 

[LI.    LETTERS  OF  ADMINISTRATION  GRANTED  TO  JOHN 
PHILIP  BOEHM,  JR.,  MAY  6,  1749.] 

[Book   of   Administration,   Vol.   F,   p.  235,   Register   of   Wills   Office, 

Philadelphia.] 

To  John  Philip  Boehm  of  Whitpain  Township,  yeoman,  son 
of  John  Philip  Boehm,  late  of  y*  same  place.  Clerk,  Deced.,  (Anna 
Maria,  y'  widow,  having  renounced)   Greeting. 

Memorandum,  that  Letters  of  Administration  in  common  form 
were  granted  to  John  Philip  Bohm,  y*  son,  above  named  on  the 
Estate  of  the  said  Deced. 

Invent''  to  be  exhibited  on  or  before  the  6th  day  of  June  ne.xt 
and  an  ace*  on  or  before  the  7th  day  of  May  anno  1750. 

Given  under  the  seal  of  this  said  office  the  6th  day  of  May,  1749. 

Wm.   Plumsted,  Reg'.  Gen'. 

The  securities  to  the  Bond  of  Administration  were  Michael 
Clime,  Innkeeper  of  Whitpain  Township  and  Daniel  Bouton,  Baker 
of  the  city  of   Philadelphia  and   County  of   Philadelphia. 

^  Martin  Kolb  and  his  brother  Jacob  came  to  Germantown  as 
early  as  1707  (C.  H.  Smith,  Mennonitcs  iti  America,  Scottdale  1909,  p. 
145).  About  1709,  Martin  Kolb  moved  to  Skippack,  on  the  Van  Bebber 
tract.  (Smith,  1.  c,  p.  119),  where  a  Mennonite  meeting  house  was 
erected  in  1725.  In  1734,  Martin  Kolb  paid  quitrent  on  lOO  acres  in 
Skippack  township.     See  Rupp,  Names,  p.  475. 


DOCUMENTS  OF  1749  471 

[LII.    BOND  OF  ADMINISTRATOR,  MAY  6,  1749.] 

[No.  9,  1749,  Register  of  Wills  Office,  Philadelphia]. 
[Endorsement] : 

Adm'  Bond 

John  Philip  Boame  yeoman 

on  y'  Estate  of  John  Philip  Boame,  Clerk, 

Dated  May  6,  1749.    Registration  Book  F,  p.  235. 

Know  all  Men  by  these  presents  that  we  John  Philip  Bohm  of 
Whitpain  Township,  yeoman,  son  of  John  Philip  Bohm,  late  of  y' 
same  place,  Clerk,  Deced ;  Michael  Cleim  of  y'  same  place  Innholder 
&  Dan'.  Buttong  of  Philad".,  Baker,  are  held  &  firmly  bound  unto 
\Vm.  Plumsted,  Reg'.  Gen",  for  y'  Probate  of  Wills  &  granting  Lr". 
of  Admceon  in  &  for  y'  Province  of  Pennsylv".  In  y"  Sum  of  Two 
Thous".  Pounds  Lawfull  Money  of  y*  s".  Province  To  be  p".  to  the 
s".  Reg'.  Gen",  his  certain  attorney  Excors  admors  or  Ass'.  To  y* 
wch  Paym*  well  &  truly  to  be  made  &  done.  We  bind  ourselves  our 
Heirs  Exors  &  Admors  joyntly  &  severally  for  &  in  the  whole  firmly 
by  these  presents. 

Sealed  w*\  our  Seals.  Dat"*.  the  6th  Day  of  May  anno  1749. 

The  condicon  of  this  obi.  is  such  that  if  the  above  bounden 
John  Philip  Bohm,  yeoman,  Admor  of  all  &  singular  the  Goods  Chetls 
Rights  &  Credits  wch  were  of  John  Philip  Bohm  Clerk  Deced,  (Anna 
Maria  having  renounced)  do  make  or  cause  to  be  made  a  true  & 
p'fect  Inv''.  of  all  and  singular  the  Goods  Chetls  Rights  &  Credits 
wch  were  of  y"  s"*.  Dec'd,  wch  have  or  shall  come  to  the  hands 
possion  or  knowledge  of  y*  s".  John  Philip  y°  son  or  in  y'  hands 
Possion  or  knowledge  of  any  other  pson  or  psons  for  him  &  y*  same 
so  made  do  exhi*.  or  cause  to  be  exh"*.  into  y"  Reg'.  Gen'.  Office  at 
Philad".  at  or  before  the  6th  Day  of  June  next  y*  same  Goods  Chetls 
rights  &  credits  wch  were  of  y'  s*.  Deed,  at  y"  time  of  his  death  or 
wch  at  any  time  after  shall  come  to  y'  hands  possion  or  knowledge 
of  any  other  pson  or  psons  for  him  do  well  &  truly  admer  accord, 
to  Law  and  further  do  make  or  cause  to  be  made  a  true  &  just  ace*. 
Calculacon  or  reckon^  of  y'  s^  Admcon  at  or  before  y'  7th  day  of 
May  anno  1750  and  all  y"  rest  &  residue  of  y'  s*.  Goods  Chetls  rights 
&  credits  wch  shall  be  found  rem^  upon  y"  s*.  adm".  ace*,  the  same 
being  first  exh".  &  allowed  by  y"  Orphan  Court  of  y*  [County]  of 
Philad*.  shall  deliver  &  pay  to  such  pson  or  psons  respectively  as  y* 
s".  Court  by  its  Decree  or  sentence  shall  limit  &  app*.  and  if  it  shall 
hereafter  appear  y*.  any  last  Will  or  Testament  was  made  by  y'  s*. 
Deced.  &  y*  Exor  or  Exors  therein  named  do  exhibit  the  same  into 
y*  s"*.  office  making  Request  to  have  it  allowed  &  approved  of  accord- 


472  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

ingly,  if  the  s*.  John  Philip  Bohm  being  thereunto  requested  do  render 
&  deliver  up  y*  s^  Lrs  of  Admcon.  Approbacon  of  such  Testament 
being  first  had  &  made  in  y"  s".  office.     Then  this  obi.  to  be  void  or 
else  to  be  &  remain  in  full  force  &  vertue. 
Sealed  &  [signed] 

In  the  presence  of  '   (     J°^^   ^^^^^^  ^o^^e 

Pet'.  Hodgson  <     Michael  Cleim 

(     Daniel  Bouton. 


[LIII.   INVENTORY  OF  MR.  JOHN  PHILIP  BOEHM'S  ESTATE, 
EXHIBITED  JULY   13,   1749.] 

[No.  9,  1749,  Register  of  Wills  Office,  Philadelphia.] 

A  true  Inventory  of  all  and  single  the  Goods  and  Chattels,  Rits 
[Rights]  and  Credits  of  John  Philip  Bame  in  y*  County  of  Philadel- 
phia, Desesed.    Appraised  the  fifth  day  of  June,  1749. 

And  is  in  Manner  as  follows  Appraised  by  us  Underwritten 
William  Foulke  and  John  Roberts  and  John  Jemison,  viz. 

i      s.  d. 

To  his  wearing  Apperill    8      0  0 

To  his  Riding  Hors  Saddal  and  Bridal  &  Whip. ...     10      0  0 

To  Cash    4    19  0 

Doe  [Due]  on  Bond  &  Bils  29      6  0 

Doe  on  Book  26    10  1 

To  6  Table  Cloths  8  pare  pillow  cases  &  three 
sheets  fore  Napkins  five  hand  towels  and 
Bolster  three  nets  fore  Baskets  &  some  yarn..       4      10 

For  11  yards  &  3  Quarters  of  Cloth 3      6  0 

For  7  yards  &  3  Quarters  of  Cloth  1     18  0 

For  5  silver  spoons 1     10  0 

For  Bed  &  Bedding  5      0  0 

For  Clock  and  Case 8      0  0 

For  1  Comb  &  Looking  Glass 0      3  0 

For  3  slats 0      3  0 

For  1  Cubbert  &  Lumber  1      0  0 

For  3  Dasson  [Dozen]  small  Books 10  0 

For  8  large  Books  1      0  0 

For  2  Bibles 3      0  0 

For  1  Vise  &  1  Lock 0    14  0 

For  1  Earthen  jar  and  1  hammer  &  hooks  &  stapels      0      3  0 
For  2  puter  Dishes  1  Bason  1  putor  tankert  &  1 

mogg  [mug]   1      2  0 

For  1  putor  tea  pot 0      6  0 

For  21  putor  plates  5  putor  dishes  3  putor  por- 


0 

0 

6 

0 

.3 

0 

18 

0 

5 

0 

15 

0 

DOCUMENTS  OF  1749  473 

angers  &  1  putor  mustard  pot 2    18      0 

For  2  Duson  &  a  half  of  putor  spoons  &  copper 

cettel  1     16      0 

For  2  Iron  Cettels  &  2  Iron  pots 15      0 

For  tongs  &  Gridiron  Lossaback  pot  Hoeks  frying 

pan  2  Leadals  flesh   fork 0    16      0 

For  2  Candal  Sticks  and  Lantran  Choping  Knife 

Mill  Hook  &  Lamp  0      7      0 

For  2  Leadals  1  scinner  1  grator  Iron  Mortar  & 

pestal  and  Brass  Lid 0    10      6 

For  1  pare  of  stilards  [stilyards]  &  Dripping  pan 

&  Littal  Stove  &  Iron  to  Bake  Cakes  in 1 

For  2  Box  Irons  &  Heators 0 

For  13  Gese  [Geese] 0 

For  1  sled  1  Iron  plow  &  trees  &  Wheal  Barrow 

1  Iron  Harrow  1      4      0 

For  1  Waggon  and  Harnes  &  Old  Cart  &  Old  Har- 

nes  10      0      0 

For  some  Black  Walnut  Bords  (in  Mill)  thrashing 

Mill  &  cutting  box  &  knife 2 

For  some  oats  0 

For  7  stocks  of  Bees 1 

For  1  old  cutting  knife  &  yoke  &  curry  comb  & 

hook    0 

For  2  pitch  forks  2  plows  &  Irons  &  two  swingle 

trees    1 

To  sheep  &  lambs 5 

To  fore  yearlings  cow  cinde  [kind]  and  six  cows 

and  three  calf s  24 

To  3  working  horses  and  1  mare  &  colts 30 

To  1  horse  colt  saddal  &  Bridal 10 

To  3  Iron  Hoppels  1  Appel  Mill  &  Trough  &  5 

Iron   Bolts    1      6      0 

To  1  Mall  3  Iron  Wegges  [wedges]  and  Hold  fast 

and  2  Grind  stones   0     15      0 

To  9  Agurs  and  19  small  carpenter  Tools  &  2  ads 

5  old  axes   2      2      0 

To  2  cradals  7  old  siths  3  siths  sneads  &  2  wooden 

scows  &  Iron  Stump  Rasor  and  Shingels 0    11      0 

To  1  Sedar  [cedar]  tub  &  cegg  &  shecal  [sickle]  & 

Chane  [chain]  27  hogs  heads 2 

To  14  sidor  [cider]   Hogsheds 2 

[To]    Iron   Stove 3 

To  8  Hogsheds  Civars  and  one  tub 0 

To  2  Distills  and  two  Coolers 40 

To  3  tubs  1  Bocket  1  funal  &  old  Brack  and  old 

Irons  0    11 


7 

0 

10 

0 

16 

0 

0 

0 

0 

0 

5 

0 

10 

0 

0 

0 

10 

0 

0 

0 

10 

0 

4 

0 

10 

0 

0 

0 

7 

0 

474  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

To  first  koming   [?]  &  1  sheep  scin  1  calf  scin  3 

Barels  and  Churn  Wood  and  Lumber 1     19      0 

To  6  Troughs  &  6  Weeding  Hows,  2  Drilling  Hows 

2  spads  1  shofel  1  dung  fork 18      0 

To  3  old  guns 2      0      0 

To  earthen  pots  &  pans  6  stone  bottals 1      2      0 

To  1  Tea  Cattel  &  cossy  [cozy]  covers  &  2  glasses 

3  glass  bottals  1      0      0 

To  4  saws,  1  old  tooling  wheel  1  Table  to  9  chears 

&  stools   2 

To  sum  wheate  1 

To  1  Dow  Trough  Half  Bushel  &  cegg  and  ax, 

Lamp  &  Ink  stands  0 

To  old  Irons  3 

To  one  old  Bed  &  Bedding  1 

To  3  Littal  wheels  &  3  Hettochils    [Hatchels]    6 

schicals    [sickles]    2     12      0 

To  2  feather  Beds  &  1  chaf  Bed  &  some  feathers  & 

Bed  stead  2  small  spits 4     11       0 

To  some  Raggs,  some  Baggs  &  some  yarn  1  soling 

&  lining  to  feathers   6     10      0 

To  21  yards  of  Lining,  some  wool  &  Bascets  & 

seals   chese   kag    3 

To  Linings  old  Chests  to  some  Books  therein 5 

To  1  Beme  [beam]  and  some  other  small  things  1 

pare  of  Hinges  &  Iron  Sledges 0 

To  2  Beds  and  Bedsteads  and  Beding 6 

To  1  padlock  and  Bed  &  beding 1 

To  open  heded  Barrals,  Old  Iron  and  Buckwheat 

and  old  Boxes  0 

To  Beaf  &  Beacon 0 

To  plane  stocks,  copper  pot,  scilet.  Old  Irons  Ca- 

buk   [cabbage]   knife  &  table 0     15      0 

To  2  crosscut  saws  &  some  oake  Bords,   sith  & 

Cradal  Reak  &  Bee  Hives 2    17      0 

To  knives  and  forks,  old  Nutt  Trenchers,  Sisors 

[scissors]  &  snufers   0     12      0 

To  pigg  Iron  and  one  saddal  &  some  Leather  & 

Bridal  Bitt  &  Serine    9      5      0 

To  1  saddal  pilow  &  saddal  baggs  &  other  Leather 

to  1  saddal  2      5      0 

To  1  hogshed  and  some  Rum  &  one  hogshed  with 

some  molasses  &  hogshead  of  Sidor 2      7      0 

To  1  cask  of  some  shugar  &  2  ceggs  &  half  Barel 

&  Vinegar  &  old  Butter  tubs 0 

To  1  Chest  &  Table 0 

To  wheat  and  Rey  in  y'  ground 20 


0 

0 

4 

0 

12 

0 

10 

0 

2 

0 

18 

6 

10 

0 

15 

0 

2 

0 

0 

0 

DOCUMENTS  OF  1749  475 

To  Oats,  Indian  Corn,  Flax  &  Hemp  in  y"  ground.       8      0      0 
To  y'  three  servants,  2  Boys  and  one  Girl 30      0      0 


Total  some  errors  exc.  £423     10      7 
John  Jemison, 
VVm.   Foulke, 
John  Roberts. 
Exhibited  July  13,  1749. 


[LIV.  THE  ACCOUNT  OF  JOHN  PHILIP  BOEHM,  JR.,  AD- 
MINISTRATOR OF  HIS  FATHER'S  ESTATE,  FEBRUARY 
27,   1755.] 

[No.  9,  1749,  Register  of  Wills  Office,  Philadelphia.] 

1749. 

July  13th.  The  accom'.  charges  himself  Dr.  with  all  and  singular 
y'  goods  chatties  rights  and  credits  which  were  of  y'  s*.  Deced.  as 
mentioned  in  an  Inv''.  thereof  Exhibited  into  &  remaining  in  the  Reg'. 
Gen'.  Office  at  Phila*  &  am*,  to  £423.10.7. 

By  allowance  for  his  several  payments  &  Disburs- 
m*'.  made  as  on  the  other  side  as  per  rec*'. 

and  am',  to  £75      1      9 

By  the  Widows  Thirds  p" £130     ..     .. 

£205      1      9 
By  the  Balance  paid  to  y*  five  other  Heirs  of  y'  s**. 

Deced,  as  by  their  Release  for  the  same £218      8     10 


£423    10      7 


Philad"  27  Feb'  1755. 

Errors    excepted 

John   Philip   Bame,  Adm'. 

account  afif. 

Accompt  of  the  Estate  late  John  Philip  Behm  Deced.  Exhibi'' 

27th  Febr.  1755. 

Paid  to  the  Creditors  of  mv  Father : 

£  s.  d. 

To  Gothart  Armbrister 11  0  0 

To  John  Theobold  End 3  3  6 

To  Christopher   Sour 0  10 

To  Abraham  Evans 1  0  7 

To  John  Deheaven    0  8  6 

To  Joseph  Cadwalleder 0  7  6 

To  Sebastian  Miller 2  7  8 


476  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

To  William  Dixsy 0  15  0 

To  Hananiah  Pugh 0  10  6 

To  John   White 0  5  10 

To  Judah   Foulke    1  11  0 

To  Jacob  Fisher 0  16  10 

To  John  Robarts 0  13  6 

To  Jane  Adams 0  14  0 

To  John  Lewis 0  5  6 

To  George  Kastner 0  2  6 

To  Sophia  Maybury 4  16  10 

To  John  Morris 0  7  0 

To    William   Foulke 1  17  11 

To  Jacob   Arnt  and   Gabriel   Scheuler  and   Peter 

Spyker    3  3  0 

To  Edward  Dehaven   0  8  3 

To  Peter  Swortee  1  H  4 

To   Thomas    Adams 0  6  0 

To  John  ? 0  15  0 

To  Anthony  Bame  for  Funeral  Charges 4  10  0 


£41     18 
By  allowance  for  cash  charges  in  the  Inv^.  it  being 
the  property  of  y*  Elders  of  Skipack  meeting 

house  &  since  paid  to  them £31 

pr  for  y*  Adm'.  &  fit  Inv'' 17 

p".  for  making  up  y*  ace',  writing  sundries 1     15 


£75      1      9 
p*.   the   widow   thirds   £130   Ballance   p"".   to  y*   5 

other  children  &  releases  for  y*  same [348.     8.    10] 


[Total    £423.   10.     7] 


[LV  DEED  GIVEN  BY  THE  DAUGHTERS  OF  JOHN  PHILIP 
BOEHM  TO  HIS  YOUNGEST  SON,  JOHN  PHILIP  BOEHM, 
JR.,  JULY  1,  1749.] 

[Recorder  of  Deeds  Office,  Philadelphia,  Vol.  G,No.  12,  p.  450,  ff.] 

THIS  INDENTURE  made  the  First  Day  of  July  in  the  year 
of  our  Lord  One  Thousand  seven  hundred  and  forty  nine  Between 
Adam  Moser  of  the  County  of  Philadelphia  in  the  Province  of  Penn- 
sylvania yeoman  and  Anna  Maria  his  wife,  Ludwig  Bitting  of  Lower 
Milford  Township  in  the  County  of  Bucks  in  the  said  Province  yeoman 
and  Sevina  his  wife,  George  Shamboh  of  Upper  Milford  Township  in 


DOCUMENTS  OF  1749  477 

the  said  County  of  Bucks  Weaver  and  Elizabeth  his  wife  and  Cornelius 
Deweese  of  Gloucester  County  in  West  New  Jersey  Cooper  and  Maria 
Philipina  his  wife  (They  the  said  Anna  Maria,  Sevina,  Elizabeth  and 
Maria  Philipina  being  the  Daughters  of  Johann  Philip  Behm,  late  of 
Whitpen  township  in  the  said  County  of  Philadelphia,  yeoman  de- 
ceased) of  the  one  part  and  Johann  Philip  Behm  of  Whitpen  township 
aforesaid,  yeoman,  the  youngest  son  of  the  said  first  named  Johann 
Philip   Behm   of  the  other   Part. 

W'hereas  the  said  Johann  Philip  Behm,  the  father,  became  in  his 
life  time  lawfully  possessed  of  Goods  and  Chattels  and  seized  of  and 
in  Lands  Tennements  and  Hereditaments  situate  in  the  said  Province 
of  Pennsylvania,  viz.  Two  tracts  of  Land  situate  at  or  near  Saucon 
Creek  in  the  said  County  of  Bucks  containing  together  about  Three 
hundred  acres  or  thereabouts  and  one  Plantation  in  Whitpain  afore- 
said containing  two  Hundred  Acres  or  thereabouts  And  He  the  said 
Johann  Philip  Behm  the  Father  in  his  Life  time  Portioned  and  Pre- 
ferred his  Eldest  son  Anthony  William  Behm  by  a  Grant  of  the 
Saucon  Lands  aforesaid  and  Died  Intestate,  and  administration  of 
his  Estate  was  committed  unto  his  youngest  son  Johan  Philip  Behm, 
party  hereto,   the   Widow   having  judicially  renounced, 

AND  WHEREAS  it  is  mutually  agreed  by  and  between  the 
parties  hereto  that  the  said  Johann  Philip  Boehm  his  son  shall  hold  to 
him  and  his  heirs  for  his  part,  the  aforesaid  Plantation  in  Whitpain  and 
that  he  his  Heirs  Executors  or  Administrators  shall  maintain  & 
support  their  Grandfather  Philip  Sherer  with  all  necessaries  during 
the  Term  of  his  natural  Life,  and  that  the  said  Adam  Moser  shall 
have  and  receive  (over  and  besides  what  he  hath  already  received  of 
his  said  Father-in-law  in  his  Life  time  in  part  of  his  said  wife's 
Portion)  the  sum  of  One  Hundred  and  sixty  three  Pounds  three 
shillings  for  his  and  her  part  of  her  said  Father's  Estate  And  that 
the  said  George  Shamboh  shall  have  and  receive  (over  and  besides 
what  he  hath  already  Received  of  his  said  Father-in-Law  in  his  Life 
time  in  part  of  his  said  Wife's  Portion)  the  sum  of  One  Hundred 
and  thirty  nine  Pounds,  ten  shillings  for  his  and  her  full  part  of  their 
said  Father's  Estate  And  that  the  said  Cornelius  Deweese  shall  have  and 
Receive  (over  and  besides  what  he  hath  already  Received  of  his  said 
Father-in-Law  in  his  Life  time  in  part  of  his  said  wife's  Portion)  the 
sum  of  One  Hundred  and  Twenty  Nine  Pounds  thirteen  Shillings  for 
his  and  her  full  part  of  their  said  Father's  Estate  Each  one  whole  share 
(including  what  they  have  heretofore  Received  respectively)  amount- 
ing to  One  Hundred  and  Seventy  Pounds  a  piece  and  that  the  said 
Ludwig  Bitting  shall  have  and  Receive  the  whole  sum  of  one  hundred 
and  seventy  Pounds  for  his  and  his  said  wife's  full  part  of  their  said 
Father's  Estate  he  the  said  Ludwig  having  heretofore  Received  no 
part  of  his  said  Wife's  Portion,  Provided  always  and  is  hereby 
mutually  agreed  by  and  between  the  parties  hereto  each  one  of  them 
the  said  Adam  Moser,  Ludwig  Bitting,  George  Shamboh  and  Cornelius 
Deweese,  their  Heirs  Executors  and  Administrators  respectively  shall 


478  LETTERS  OF  BOEHAl 

well  and  -truly  bear  the  one  full  and  equal  fifth  part  (the  whole  in  five 
equal  parts  to  be  divided)  of  all  the  just  Debts  of  the  said  Johan 
Philip  Behm  the  Father  which  he  owed  at  the  time  of  his  Decease 
and  shall  well  and  truly  pay  or  discount  the  same  unto  the  said  John 
Philip  Behm  the  son  his  Executors,  Administrators  or  Assigns,  NOW 
THIS  INDENTURE  WITNESSETH  that  the  said  Adam  Moser  and 
Anna  Maria  his  wife  Ludwig  Bitting  and  Sevina  his  wife,  George 
Shamboh  and  Elizabeth  his  wife  and  Cornelius  Dewcese  and  Maria 
Philipina  his  wife  for  and  in  consideration  of  the  several  sums  of 
money  herein  before  particularly  mentioned  and  unto  them  respectively 
well  paid  or  secured  to  be  paid  by  the  said  Johann  Philip  Behm  at  and 
before  the  sealing  and  Delivery  hereof  The  Receipt  of  which  security 
they  do  hereby  acknowledge  Have  granted  Remised  Released  and  con- 
firmed and  by  these  Presents  do  grant  Remise,  Release  and  Confirm 
unto  the  said  John  Philip  Behm  the  son  (in  the  actual  possession 
now  being)  and  to  his  Heirs  and  Assigns  all  that  the  said  Plantation 
or  Tract  of  Land  situate  in  Whitpain  Township  aforesaid  containing 
Two  hundred  acres  (which  one  Rees  Thomas,  Anthony  Morris  & 
Phoebe  his  wife  by  Indenture  of  the  ninth  Day  of  September  1736  Re- 
corded at  Philadelphia  in  Book  F,  Vol.  9,  p.  250  sec**,  granted  unto 
the  said  John  Philip  Behm  the  Father  and  to  his  Heirs  and  Assigns, 
Together  also  with  all  and  singular  the  Rights  Members  Improvements 
Hereditam*°,  and  appurtenances  whatever  thereunto  belonging  and  also 
all  and  every  of  the  Estate  and  Estates  Parts  and  Purparts  Use 
Possession  Property  Claim  and  Demand  whatsoever  of  them  the  said 
Adam  Moser  and  Anna  Maria  his  wife,  Ludwig  Bitting  and  Sevina  his 
wife,  George  Shamboh  and  Elizabeth  his  wife  and  Cornelius  Dewees 
and  Maria  Philipina  his  wife,  of  in  and  to  the  said  Whitpain  Planta- 
tion and  of  in  and  to  all  and  singular  other  the  Lands  Tennements  and 
Hereditaments  whatsoever  of  their  said  Father  Johann  Philip  Behm  in 
his  Life  time  at  the  time  of  his  Decease,  To  have  and  to  hold  the 
said  Whitpain  Plantation  and  all  and  singular  other  the  parts  Heredita- 
ments and  Premises  hereby  granted  or  mentioned  to  be  granted  with 
the  appurtenances  unto  the  said  Johann  Philip  Behm  the  son  his  Heirs 
and  Assigns  To  the  only  proper  Use  and  Behoof  of  him  the  said 
John  Philip  Behm  the  son  his  Heirs  and  Assigns  forever.  Under  the 
proportionable  part  of  the  yearly  Quit  Rent  accruing  for  the  same 
Premises  to  the  Chief  Lord  of  the  Fee  thereof  And  the  said  Adam 
Moser  doth  hereby  Covenant  for  him  and  his  heirs  and  for  the  said 
Anna  Maria  his  wife  and  her  heirs,  the  said  Ludwig  Bitting  doth 
hereby  covenant  for  him  and  his  heirs  and  for  the  said  Sevina  his 
wife  and  her  heirs.  The  said  George  Shamboh  doth  hereby  covenant 
for  him  and  his  heirs  and  for  the  said  Elizabeth  his  wife  and  her  heirs, 
and  the  said  Cornelius  Deweese  doth  hereby  covenant  for  him  and  his 
Heirs  and  for  the  said  Maria  Phillipina  his  wife  and  her  Heirs, 
severally  and  respectively  and  not  jointly  to  and  with  the  said  John 
Philip  Behm  the  son  his  Heirs  and  Assigns  That  they  the  said  Adam 
Moser  and  Anna  Maria  his  wife  and  their  Heirs  respectively,  the  said 


DOCUMENTS  OF  1749  479 

Ludwig  Bitting  and  Sevina  his  wife  and  their  heirs  respectively,  The 
said  George  Shamboh  and  EIi::abeth  his  wife  and  their  Heirs  respect- 
ively and  the  said  Cornelius  Dewees  and  'Maria  Phillipina  his  wife 
and  their  heirs  respectively,  The  said  Lands  purparts  and  premises 
hereby  granted  or  mentioned  to  be  granted  with  the  appurtenances 
unto  the  said  Johann  Philip  Behm  the  son  his  Heirs  and  Assigns 
against  them  the  said  Adam  Moser  &  Anna  Maria  his  wife,  Ludwig 
Bitting  &  Sevina  his  wife,  George  Shamboh  &  Elizabeth  his  wife  and 
Cornelius  Dewees  and  Maria  Phillipina  his  wife  &  their  Heirs  re- 
spectively and  against  all  and  every  other  person  and  persons  what- 
soever lawfully  claiming  or  to  claim  by  from  or  under  them  or  any  of 
them  respectively  shall  and  will  warrant  and  forever  defend  by  these 
Presents  And  the  said  Adam  Moser,  Ludwig  Bitting,  George  Shamboh 
and  Cornelius  Dewees  severally  and  respectively  and  for  their  several 
and  respective  Heirs,  Executors  and  Administrators  do  covenant, 
promise  and  grant  to  and  with  the  said  Jn.  Philip  Behm  party  hereto 
his  Executors  and  Administrators  by  these  presents.  That  each  of 
them  the  said  Adam  Moser,  Ludwig  Bitting,  George  Shamboh  and 
Cornelius  Dewees  shall  and  will  well  and  truly  pay  or  cause  to  be 
paid  unto  the  said  Johann  Philip  Behm  party  hereto  his  Executors 
Administrators  or  Assigns  the  one  full  and  equal  fifth  part  aforesaid  of 
the  whole  amount  of  the  just  Debts  of  the  said  John  Philip  Behm  the 
Father  due  at  the  time  of  his  Decease  and  further  also  that  it  shall 
and  may  be  lawful  to  and  for  the  said  Johann  Philip  Behm  the  son 
his  Executors  and  Administrators  to  keep  to  his  and  their  own  use 
all  and  singular  the  goods  Chattels  and  credits  of  the  said  Intestate 
without  any  account  to  be  given  for  the  same,  The  aforesaid  One 
Hundred  and  Seventy  Pounds  a  piece  including  each  one's  share  of 
the  Personal  Estate  of  the  said  Intestate,  as  well  as  of  the  aforesaid 
Plantation  at  Whitpain  and  of  all  other  his  Lands  and  Tennements 
(The  aforesaid  Saucon  Lands  excepted). 

In  witness  whereof  the  said  Parties  to  these  Presents  have  inter- 
changeably set  their  Hands  and  Seals  hereunto.     Dated  the  Day  and 
Year  first  above  written. 
Sealed  and  delivered  by  the 

above   named    Cornelius    Deweese       Adam  Moser  (Seal) 

and  Maria  Philipina  his  wife.     In       Anna  Maria  Moser  (Seal) 

the  Presence  of  us  Ludwig  Bitting  (Seal) 

Garrett  Dewees  Sevina   Bitting  (Seal) 

Frederick  Button.  George  Shamboh  (Seal) 

Sealed    and    delivered    by    the       _  ^%l     _  .o.     ,^ 

oKr,,r»    „orv,o^     A^o^     T\f^.^^    s  Eliz.'vbeth    X    Shamboh  (Seal) 

above     named     Adam     Moser     & 

A  ■»!     •    ,  •        .,     T      ,     .     -r^.  mark 

Anna  Maria  his  wife,  Ludwig  Bitt-  his 

ing  &  Sevina  his  wife  And  George       Cornelius     X     Dewees       (Seal) 

Shamboh  &  Elizabeth  his  wife  in       ,,  d."^'"'^  .    t%  ,.,  ^.  /c     i% 

-^  ,  Maria  Phillipina  Dewees  (Seal) 

the  Presence  of  us 

Sebastian  Druckemuller, 

Johann  Nicholas  Staehler. 


480  LETTERS  OF  BOEHM 

Memorandum  the  sixteenth  Day  of  August  1749  Personally  ap- 
peared before  Thomas  Lawrence,  Esq'.  One  of  the  Justices,  etc.,  Fred- 
erick Button  of  the  City  of  Philadelphia  Baker  and  made  Oath  on 
the  Holy  Evangelists  of  Almighty  God  that  he  was  present  and  did 
see  the  above  named  Cornelius  Dewees  and  Maria  Philipina  his  wife 
sign  seal  and  as  their  Deed  deliver  the  above  written  Indenture 
and  that  his  this  Appearers  Name  thereunto  subscribed  as  witness  of 
the  same  is  of  his  own  handwriting  and  that  together  with  him  one 
Garrett  Dewees  also  signed  as  another  witness  of  the  same.  In  Wit- 
ness whereof  the  said  Thomas  Lawrence  have  hereunto  set  my  hand 
&  Seal  the  Day  and  Year  aforesaid. 

Tho'.   Lawrence        (Seal) 

Memorandum  the  sixteenth  Day  of  August  anno  Domini  1749 
Personally  appeared  before  me  Thomas  Lawrence  Esq'.  Johann 
Nicholas  Stabler  of  Upper  Milford  Township  in  the  County  of  Bucks, 
yeoman  and  made  oath  on  the  Evangelists  of  Almighty  God  that  he 
was  present  and  did  see  the  within  named  Adam  Moser  and  Anna 
Maria  his  wife,  Ludwig  Bitting  and  Sevina  his  wife,  George  Shamboh 
&  Elizabeth  his  wife,  sign  seal  and  as  their  Act  and  Deed  deliver  the 
within  written  Indenture  and  that  his  this  Appearers  Name  thereunto 
subscribed  as  a  Witness  of  the  same  is  of  his  own  Handwriting  & 
that  together  with  him  one  Sebastian  Druckemiiller  also  signed  as 
another  witness  of  the  same.  In  witness  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set 
my  Hand  and  seal  the  Day  and  Year  aforesaid. 

Tho'.   Lawrence        (Seal) 
Recorded  4th  January  1750/51. 


/ 


APPENDIX 
II 


German  Reformed  Congregations  in  Pennsylvania  Before  the 
Year    1750. 

The  following  list,  like  the  map  which  accompanies  it,  does  not 
aim  to  enumerate  churches,  that  is  church  buildings,  but  congregations 
which  were  in  existence  before  the  year  1750.  They  met  in  private 
houses  or  in  churches  then  actually  built.  The  exact  spot  of  these 
meeting  places  is  uncertain  in  many  cases.  It  is,  however,  to  be  pre- 
sumed that  they  were  somewhere  near  the  present  churches,  whose 
location  is  indicated  on  the  map  and  in  the  following  list.  The  congrega- 
tions visited  by  Schlatter  (41  in  all)  are  indicated  by  an  asterisk(*), 
those  referred  to  by  Boehm  (24  in  all),  are  marked  by  a  dagger  (t). 


Montgomery  County. 

1.  *tFalkner  Swamp,  founded  1725,  in  New  Hanover  township,  near 

Swamp  village. 
Oct.  15,  1725,  first  communion,  see  Boehm's  report  of  1744, 
p.  409.    The  first  church  was  built  in  1741,  see  p.  337. 

2.  *tSkippack,  founded  1725,  at  Harleysville,  Lower  Salford  town- 

ship. 
Nov.  1725,  first  communion,  see  Boehm's  report  of  1744,  p.  409. 
The  first  church  was  dedicated  June  22,  1729,  see  p.  217;  dis- 
continued in  1748,  revived  as  Wentz's,  Worcester  township, 
in  1762. 

3.  *tWhitemarsh,  founded  1725,  in  Whitemarsh  township. 

Dec.  23,  1725,  first  communion,  see  Boehm's  report  of  1744, 
p.  409.  The  meeting  place  was  the  house  of  Wm.  De  Wees, 
see  p.  415;  disbanded  in  1745,  see  p.  430. 

4.  *tNew  Goshenhoppen,  founded  1727,  near  East  Greenville,  Upper 

Hanover  township. 
Oct.  12,  1727,  first  communion,  see   Boehm's  letter  of  Nov. 
1730,  p.  216.    First  church  built  before  1739,  see  p.  281. 


482  CONGREGATIONS  IX  1750  "^ 

5.  *t01d  Goshenhoppen,  founded  about  1730,  near  Sal  ford  Station, 

Upper  Salford  township. 
Mentioned  by  Boehm,  Nov.  1730,  see  p.  204 ;  warrant  for  land 
secured  1732 ;  first  church  built  1744,  see  p.  425. 

6.  *tProvidence,   founded   1742,  St.  Luke's  at  Trappe,   Providence 

township. 
Nov.  5,  1742,  first  communion,  see  Boehm's  statistics  of  1744, 
p.  399;  first  church  built  in  1747,  see  Schlatter's  private  diary 
in  Journal  of  Presb.  Hist.  Sac,  III,  165. 

7.  *Indian  Creek,  founded  about  1745,  (called  also  Indian  Field) 

Christ's,  Indian  Creek,  near  Telford,  Franconia  township. 
Oct.  20,  1746,  visited  by  Schlatter,  see  Life,  p.  140,  when  he 
preached  "in  a  wooden  church". 

8.  *tWhitpain,  founded  1747,  Boehm's  Church,  at  Blue  Bell,  Whit- 

pain  township. 
Febr.  3,  1747,  organized  by  Schlatter,  see  Boehm's  letter  of 
Dec.  1748,  p.  456;  church  built  in  1747,  see  Life  of  Schlatter, 
p.  150;  also  p.  456,  above. 

II.    Lancaster  County. 

9.      fHill    Church,    Conestoga,    founded    1725,    Salem,    Heller's, 
Upper  Leacock  township. 
Founded  by  Tempelman  in  1725,  see  his  letter,  quoted  above, 
p.  62;  first  church  built  before  1739,  see  p.  281. 

10.  *tCocalico,  founded  about  1730,  Bethany,  near  Ephrata. 

Referring  to  a  communion  in  May,  1735,  Boehm  states  that 
it  had  been  gathered  previously,  i.  e.,  during  his  pastorate, 
1730-1731,  see  p.  275;  first  log  church  built  before  1739,  see 
p.  281. 

11.  *tMuddy  Creek,  founded  about  1730,  in  East  Cocalico  town- 

ship. 
1730-1733,  baptisms  of   Peter  Miller,  recorded  in  Lutheran 
Muddy  Creek  record.    In  April,  1744,  Boehm  refers  to  their 
"newly  built  little  church,"  see  p.  399. 

12.  *tLancaster,     founded    between     1730-1732,    First    Reformed 

Church,  Lancaster. 
First  mentioned  by  Tempelman,  in  letter  of  Febr.  13,  1733, 
see  p.  64;  first  church  built  in  1736,  see  p.  275. 

13.  *Seltenreich,   founded  about   1732,  near  New   Holland,  Earl 

township. 
Existence  implied  in  Tempelman's  letter;  Sept.  8,  1732,  a 
baptism  by  Tempelman  of  Susanna  Bauman,  da.  of  Henry 
and  Catharine  (Derr)  Bauman,  in  Earl  township,  according 
to  family  Bible;  first  church  built  before  1744,  see  Lischy's 
report  of  Dec.  8,  1744,  in  Reformed  Church  Review,  X, 
1906,  94. 


CONGREGATIONS  IN  1750  483 

14.  *Reyer's  Church,  founded  about  1732,  Zion's  at  Brickerville, 

Elizabeth  township. 
Existence  implied  in  Tempelman's  letter ;  entries  by  Tempel- 
man  in  old  church  record  (now  lost)  went  back  to  1735; 
first  church  built  in  1735,  according  to  record,  see  statement 
of  Rev.  D.  C.  Tobias  in  Reformed  Ch.  Messenger,  of  Oct. 
14,  1874. 

15.  *Donegal,    founded   in   1743,    Christ    Church,    Elizabethtown, 

Mount  Joy  township. 
Organized    by    Lischy,    June,    1743,    according    to    Lischy's 
diary  at  Bethlehem ;   first  church  built  in   1744,  see  report 
of  Lischy  in  Reformed  Church  Review,  X,  1906,  91. 

16.  Whiteoak,  founded  about  1747,  Jerusalem  Church,  at  Penryn, 

Penn  township. 
Sept.  21,  1747,  date  of  deed   for  church  land,  see  Tobias, 
History  of  Bethany  Charge,  p.  18 ;  first  church  built  about 
1748. 

17.  Little   Cocalico,   founded  about   1749,   Swamp  Church,  near 

Blainsport,  West  Cocalico  township. 
Taufbuch  beym  Michael  Amweg,  begun  July  20,  1749;  first 
Church    built    1755,    see    Reformed    Church    Reviezu,    XX, 
1916,  37. 

III.  Philadelphia  County. 

18.  *tPhiladelphia,  founded  1727,  First  Reformed  Church,  Phila- 

delphia. 
First  sermons  in  Philadelphia  preached  by  Boehm,  see  p. 
411 ;  Sept.  24,  1727,  first  communion  by  Weiss,  see  p.  213 ; 
first  meeting  house  rented  in  Nov.,  1734,  see  p.  72 ;   first 
church  begun  by  Boehm  in  1745,  see  p.  457. 

19.  *tGermantown,  founded  1727,  now  Market  Square   Presby- 

terian Church. 
Weiss  was  the  first  pastor  in  1727,  see  p.  181 ;  first  church 
built  in  1734,  see  p.  241. 

IV.  Berks  County. 

20.  *tTulpehocken,    founded    1727,    Host    Church,    Tulpehocken 

township. 
Oct.  18,  1727,  first  communion,  see  Boehm's  report  of  1744, 
p.  409 ;  first  services  in  Reed's  Lutheran  Church,  see  p.  67 ; 
first  log  church  built  in  1733,  see  p.  67;  new  church  built 
in  1743,  see  p.  398. 

21.  *t01ey,  founded  about  1734,  Salem,  at  Oley,  in  Oley  township. 

First  sermon  preached  at  Oley  by  Weiss  in  1729;  April  13, 
1734,  date  of  deed  for  church  land,  see  p.  73 ;  mentioned 


484  CONGREGATIONS  IN  1750 

by  Boehm  in  his  report  of  1734,  see  p.  251 ;  first  church  is 
said  to  have  been  built  in  1735  {Pa.  German,  III,  119),  but 
it  is  not  mentioned  by  Boehm  in  1739,  see  p.  281. 

22.  *tMaxatawny,  founded  about  1734,  now  St.  John's  at  Kutztown. 

Kutztown. 
Mentioned  by  Boehm  in  1734,  see  p.  253,  by  Goetschy  in 
173G ;  first  meeting  place  in  house  of  Jacob  Levan,  one  mile 
N.  E.  of  Kutztown ;  first  church  built  about  1755,  see 
Centennial  History  of  Kutztown,  p.  76;  mentioned  by 
Schlatter  as  Manatawny,  see  Reformed  Church  Review, 
XX,  1916,  p.  85. 

23.  Bern,  founded  about  1736,  in  Bern  township. 

Mentioned  by  Goetschy  in  1736,  in  New  Goshenhoppen 
record ;  a  church  was  at  Bern  when  Lischy  began  preaching 
there  in  1748,  see  Reformed  Church  Review,  IX,  532. 

24.  tCacusi.    founded   about   1736,    St.   John's,   or   Hain's,   near 

Wernersville. 
Mentioned  by  Goetschy  in  1736;  a  church  was  built  there 
before  1739,  see  p.  281. 

25.  Moselem,  founded  about  1736,  now  St.  Peter's,  in  Richmond 

township. 
Mentioned  by  Goetschy  in  1736 ;  first  meeting  place  possibly 
in  Moselem  Lutheran  Church ;  in  1762,  the  Reformed  erected 
a  building  on  the  west  side  of  the  Moselem  creek,  one  mile 
southwest  of  the  Lutheran  church. 

26.  Blue   Mountain   Church,    founded   1739,  Zion's  at   Strauss- 

town,  Upper  Tulpehocken  township. 
Date  of  founding  as  given  on  cornerstone  of  new  building. 
First  mentioned  by  Lischy  as  at  the  Blue  Mountains,  in  his 
report  of  Dec,  1744,  see  Reformed  Church  Revietv,  IX, 
1905,  p.  533;  date  of  warrant  for  church  land,  March  7, 
1746;  according  to  Montgomery,  History  of  Berks  County, 
1886,  p.  1095,  the  first  church  was  built  "nearly  one  hundred 
and  fifty  years  ago,"  but  that  is  no  doubt  too  early. 

27.  Alsace,   founded  about   1740,  Grace,  Alsace,  on  the  north- 

eastern boundary  of  Reading. 
Visited  by  Leonard  Schnell,  a  Moravian  missionary,  in 
October,  1746,  according  to  his  diary;  by  Muhlenberg,  in 
June,  1747 ;  a  union  church  was  built  there  between  1743-47, 
see  Hallesche  Nachrichten,  new  ed.  Vol.  I,  p.  348;  Vol.  II, 
p.  188. 

28.  Hill  Church,  in  Oley  Hills,  founded  1741,  St.  John's,  Hill 

Church,  Pike  township. 
Founded  as  a  union  church,  according  to  church  record,  in 
1741 ;  first  church  built  in  1747,  according  to  the  record. 


CONGREGATIONS  IN  1750  485 

29.  Dunkel's,  founded  in  1744,  New  Jerusalem  Church,  Green- 

wich township,  near  Virginsville. 
Year  of  organization  given  in  proclamation,  issued  by  the 
congregation  in  1859 ;  a  church  is  said  to  have  been  built  in 
the  same  year,  1744,  on  two  acres  of  land,  presented  by 
Conrad  Koch,  see  Gcsckichte  und  Regeln  dcr  Neu  Jerusalem 
Kirche,  Kutztown,  1896,  pp.  12,  21.  The  receipt  for  the 
warrant  of  the  church  land  is  dated  August  30,  1748. 

30.  Schwartzwald,  founded  about  1745,  in  Exeter  township. 
Visited  by  Lischy,   April  8,   1745,  according  to  his  diary; 
visited  by  Muehlenberg  in  1746,  see  Hallesche  Nachrichten, 
new  ed.,  Vol.  I,  p.  108;  a  church  was  built  before  1746. 

31.  Belleman's,  founded  about  1746,  in  Centre  township. 
Warrant  for  church  land  dated  May  14,  1746,  according  to 
Early,  History  of  the  Churches  of  Berks  County;  date  of 
first  church  unknown. 

32.  *Little    Lehigh,    founded   about    1748,   now    Longswamp,    in 

Longswamp  township. 
First  church  begun   in   September,   1748,  according  to  the 
church  record;  mentioned  by  Schlatter  as  Little  Lehigh,  see 
Life,  p.  203. 

V.    Lehigh  County. 

33.  *tEgypt,  founded  about  1734,  near  Coplay,  Whitehall  township. 

July  27,  1734,  first  baptism  by  Boehm,  in  church  record ; 
mentioned  by  Goetschy  in  1736 ;  the  first  log  church  was 
built  in  1764,  see  Roberts,  History  of  Egypt  Church,  1908, 
p.  13. 

34.  *tGreat  Swamp,  founded  about  1734,  one  mile  north  of  Spin- 

nertown,  in  Lower  Milford  township. 
First  referred  to  Boehm  in  1734,  see  p.  253 ;   warrant   for 
church  land  dated  May  23,  1738,  see  Weiser,  Monograph,  p. 
42 ;  date  of  first  log  church  not  known. 

35.  *tMacungie,  founded  about  1734,  Ziegel  Church,  Weisenberg 

township. 
First  mentioned  by  Boehm  in  his  report  of  1734,  see  p.  252 ; 
baptisms  in  the  old  church  record  went  back  to  "the  thirties," 
according  to  Helffrich,  Geschichtc,  p.  6;  mentioned  as 
Magunchy  by  Schlatter,  in  June,  1747;  a  small  church  with 
tile  (hence  the  name  Ziegel)  was  dedicated  by  Philip  J. 
Michael  on  July  20,  1750. 

36.  *Heidelberg,  founded  in  1740,  near  Saegersville,  Heidelberg 

township. 
Date  of  founding  according  to  Helffrich,  Gcschichte,  p.  33; 
first  church  built  in  1744,  according  to  same  authority. 


486  CONGREGATIONS  IN  1750 

37.  *Schmaltzgass,  founded  about  1740,  New  Jerusalem,  Western 

Salisbury,  near  Emaus,  in  Salisbury  township. 
First  church  built  in  1741,  according  to  the  church  record; 
the  deed,  dated  Dec.  15,  1745,  mentions  the  church  and  the 
first    pastor,    John    William    Straub,    see    Skhcen    ans    dem 
Lecha-Thal,  AUentown,  1886,  p.  72. 

38.  *Jordan,  founded  about  1744,  in  South  Whitehall  township. 

Warrant  for  land  secured  in  1744;  union  church  built  in 
1745 ;  mentioned  by  Schlatter  in  1747,  see  Life,  p.  163 ;  the 
Reformed  people  separated  and  built  their  own  church  in 
1752,  on  land  presented  by  Lorenz  Guth,  see  Anniversary 
History  of  Lehigh  County,  1914,  Vol.  I,  p.  884f. 

39.  *Allemaengel,    founded    about    1745,    called    also    Lynn,   now 

Ebenezer,  at  New  Tripoli,  Lynn  township. 
First  church  built  about   1745,  according  to   Helffrich,   Ge- 
schichte,   p.    47 ;    Moravian    records    report    Wirtz    at    Alle- 
maengel  in  1748. 

40.  Weisenberg,  founded  about  1747,  in  N.  E.  corner  of  Weisen- 

berg  township. 
Date  of  founding  according  to  Helffrich,  Geschichte,  p.  39; 
first  church  built  in  1754. 

41.  Upper    Milford,    founded    about    1750,    near    Old    Zionville, 

Upper  Milford  township. 
Date    of    founding    according    to    Anniversary    History    of 

Lehigh   County,  Vol.   I,  p.   790 ;   oldest  known  burials   in 
cemetery  in  1753 ;  first  log  church  built  about  1750. 

VI.    Northampton  County. 

42.  *tSaucon,    founded    about    1734,   near    Hellertown,    Christ's, 

Lower  Saucon  township. 
Mentioned  by  Boehm  in  1734,  see  p.  252;  by  Goetschy  in 
1736 ;  the  Saucon  church  is  referred  to  in  1740  in  the  Egj'pt 
record. 

43.  *Forks  of  Delaware,  founded  about  1746,  at  Morgan  Hill, 

near  Easton,  now  First  Church,  Easton. 
Communion  set  is  dated  1746,  see  Kieffer,  First  Settlers  of 
Forks  of  Delaivare,  1902,  pi.  facing  p.  48  ;  visited  by  Schlatter 
in  June,  1747,  see  Life,  p.  162.  "The  first  church  in  which 
the  Easton  congregation  worshipped,  stood  at  the  foot  of 
Morgan's  Hill,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  from  town,  a  little 
to  the  left  of  the  old  Philadelphia  road.  This  building  was 
dedicated  to  the  service  of  God  in  1758."  See  Weekly 
Messenger  of  Febr.  8,  1837,  a  statement  made  most  likely 
by  Rev.  Thomas  Pomp,  from  1790-1850  pastor  of  the  con- 
gregation. 


CONGREGATIONS  IN  1750  487 

44.  *Indian  Creek,  founded  about  1747,  at  Jost  Dreisbach's  mill, 

in  Lehigh  township. 
Probably  mentioned  by  Schlatter  as  "Great  Lehigh,"  in 
1747;  according  to  the  letter  of  Simon  Dreisbach  of  Jan. 
1773,  the  Indian  Creek  congregation  was  older  than 
Indianland  and  the  Mooretownship  Church,  see  Ref.  Ch. 
Review,  XVIII,  1914,  p.  214;  continued  in  1772  as  Stone 
Church  at  Kreidersville. 

45.  Mooretownship  Church,  founded  about  1750.    The  date  1723, 

frequently  given,  is  unsupported  by  any  contemporaneous 

evidence.  Emanuel,  Petersville. 
According  to  Rev.  J.  C.  Becker,  who  became  pastor  in 
1811,  there  were  three  congregations  in  that  neighborhood 
about  1750,  namely,  one  each  in  Moor  township,  Indianland 
and  Indian  Creek,  see  Church  Record  of  Stone  Church, 
at  Kreidersville. 

46.  Indianland,    founded    about    1750,    St.    Paul's,    in    Lehigh 

township. 
Date  of  founding  according  to  Rev.  J.  C.  Becker,  see  pre- 
ceding congregation ;   first  church  built  in   1756,  according 
to  a  document  preserved  in  the  church. 

47.  Plainfield,  founded  about  1750.  St.  Peter's,  in  Plainfield. 
Warrant  for  church  land  dated  Oct.  18,  1750,  see  Pa.  Ger- 
man, Vol.  X,  p.  306;  date  of  first  church  unknown. 

VII.    Lebanon  County. 

48.  *tTulpehocken,    founded    1738,    Trinity,    Tulpehocken,    near 

Myerstown. 
Oct.  1738,  first  communion,  see  Boehm's  report  of  1739; 
p.  277;  Schlatter  mentions  the  two  Tulpehocken  churches 
in  his  diary,  see  Life,  p.  135;  in  May  1743,  Boehm  refers 
to  a  church,  see  pp.  398,  416. 

49.  *tSwatara,    founded   about   1739,   near   Jonestown,   now    St. 

John's,  at  Jonestown,  Swatara  township. 
First  mentioned  by  Boehm  in  Febr.  1740,  see  p.  290 ;  bap- 
tisms in  church  record  also  go  back  to  1740;  a  church  was 
in  existence  in  1743,  when  Lischy  began  preaching  there, 
see  Ref.  Ch.  Reviexu,  X,  93. 

50.  *tQuitopahilla,  founded  about  1739,  now  Hill  Church,  near 

Annville. 
First  mentioned  by  Boehm  in  1740,  see  p.  296;   a  union 
church  was  built  in  1744,  dedicated  August  12,  1744,  ac- 
cording to  agreement  in  church  record. 

51.  Millbach,  founded  about  1743,  St.   Paul's,  Millbach. 
First   visited   by  Lischy   in   1743,   see   his   report   of    Dec. 


488  CONGREGATIONS  IN  1750 

1744,  in  Ref.  Ch.  RezHew,  IX,  1905,  p.  533;  baptisms  in 
church  record  go  back  to  1747;  a  stone  church  was  built 
in  1751,  see  Dubbs,  Reformed  Church  in  Pennsylvania, 
p.  178f. 

52.  Kimmerling's,   founded  about  1745,   St.  Jacob's,  Kimmer- 

lings,  in  North  Lebanon  township. 
The  date  1745  is  on  an  old  flagon,  belonging  to  the  con- 
gregation; a  stone  church  was  built  in  1752,  see  Schmauk, 
The  Early  Churches  in  Lebanon  County,  1902    (Publ.  of 
Lebanon  County  Hist.  Soc,  Vol.  I,  p.  36'9). 

53.  *Schaeflfer's     Church,     founded     about     1746,     St.     Paul's, 

Schaeflferstown. 
First  mentioned  by  Schlatter  in  Oct.  1746,  as  served  by 
Rieger,  see  Schlatter's  private  diary,  in  Journal  of  Presbyt. 
Hist.  Soc,  Vol.  Ill,  p.  118. 

54.  Grubben  Church,  founded  about  1747,  in   South  Lebanon 

township,  now  extinct. 
First  mentioned  in  letter  of  Conrad  Weiser,  dated   May 
15,   1747,  see  Fresenius,  Nachrichten,  III,  828;   deed   for 
church   land   dated   Jan.   7,   1755,   see   Klopp,   History   of 
Tabor  Church,  Lebanon,  1902,  p.  8. 

VIII.  Bucks  County. 

55  *Neshaminy,  founded  1710,  a  Dutch  Reformed  congregation, 
under  the  Coetus  of  Pa.,  now  the  Dutch  Ref.  Church 
at  Churchville. 
Founded  by  Rev.  Paulus  Van  Vlecq,  May  20,  1710,  see 
church  record,  printed  in  Journal  of  Presbyt.  Hist.  Soc, 
I,  118-138;  a  stone  church  was  built  in  1746,  see  Life  of 
Schlatter,  p.  129. 

56.  *Tohickon,  founded  about  1743,  St.  Peter's,  Tohickon. 

Sept.  1,  1743,  date  of  deed  for  church  land ;   first  church 
built  about  the  same  time. 

57.  *Springfield,  founded  about  1745,  Trinity,  Springfield,  near 

Pleasant  Valley   P.  O. 
Visited  by  Schlatter  June  29,  1747,  see  Life,  p.  162. 

IX.  Chester  County. 

58.  Coventry,  founded  in  1743,  Brownback's,  in  Coventry  town- 

ship. 
April   10,  1743,  Lischy  called   as  first  pastor ;   a  church   was 
built   in   1744,   see   Lischy's   report   of    Dec.    1744,   printed   m 
Ref.  Church  Review,  X,  92. 

59.  Vincent,  founded  in  1744,  now  the  East  Vincent  Church. 
Date  of  founding  according  to  Fluck,  History  of  Reformed 


CONGREGATIONS  IN  1750  489 

Churches  in  Chester  County,  1892,  p.  32.  The  date  seems 
to  be  inferred  from  the  church  record,  begun  in  1758,  in 
which  earlier  baptisms,  going  back  to  1744,  are  entered; 
first  mentioned  in  Coetus  Minutes  in  1753,  see  p.  107;  first 
church  dedicated  by  Leydich,  May  27,  1758,  see  Fluck,  1.  c, 
p.  33. 

X.    York  County. 

60.  *York-,  founded  in  1742,  Trinity,  First  Church,  York. 

Land  donated  in  1742,  according  to  church  record.  Lischy 
called  as  first  pastor,  May  24,  1745 ;  a  church  was  in  existence 
in  1744,  according  to  Lischy's  report,  see  Ref.  Church  Re- 
view, X,  97. 

61.  *Kreutz  Creek,  founded  in  1745,  near  Hellam. 

May  23,  1745,  Lischy  preached  his  first  sermon  there,  ac- 
cording to  this  diary;  services  were  held  in  a  schoolhouse. 
A  church  at  "Crice  Creek"  is  mentioned  in  the  Bethlehem 
Diary,  under  date  Oct.  20,  1747. 

XL    Adams  County. 

62.  *Bermudian,    founded    in    1745,    now    Mt.    Olivet,   near    Ber- 

mudian  P.  O. 
Organized  March  19,  1745,  by  Reformed  and  Lutherans,  see 
Hallesche    Nachrichtcn,    new    ed.,    I,    195 ;    Lischy    visited 
"Bramotsche"    on    that    day,    acording    to    his    diary;    first 
church  dedicated  April  15,  1754,  see  Pa.  German,  X,  457. 

63.  *Conewago,    founded    in    1745,    Christ   Church,    near   Littles- 

town. 
Visited  by  Lischy  and  Ranch  in  1745  and  1746,  according 
to  their  diaries ;  visited  by  Schlatter  May  4,  1747,  when  he 
preached  in  a  schoolhouse,  see  Life,  p.  153.  The  warrant 
for  the  church  land  is  dated  September  10,  1750.  A  church 
is  said  to  have  been  built  before  the  year  1755.  See  Ault, 
Historical  Sketch,  p.  5. 


INDEX 


Acker,  Andrew,  76. 

Acts  of  Dutch  Ref.  Church,  232, 

325. 
Albert,  Michael,  63,  291. 
Albert,  Wilhelm,  386. 
Allebach,  Christian,  60. 
Allen,   Wm.,   88,  329,  415. 
Allegiance,  Declaration  of,  346. 
Amsterdam  Archives,  37,  70,  172, 

174,  176,  177,  183,  186,  192,  198, 

220,  222,  223,  226,  228,  258,  261, 

262,  269,  298,  300,  311,  318,  319, 

323,  342,  370,  372,  441,  442,  468. 
Amwell,  N.  J.,  51,  326,  343. 
Andreae,   Rev.  John   C,  424,  425. 
Andrews,    Rev.   Jedidiah,    27,    28, 

32,  45,  46,  158,  199,  214. 
Anniversary  Hist,  of  Lehigh  Co., 

81. 
Antes,  Frederick    35,  36,  61,   109, 

110,   169,   179,   182,    191,  404. 
Antes,    Henry,  82,   86,   91.   92,  98, 

99,   100,   105,    109-115,    124,   355, 

356,  375,  376,  378,  379,  382. 
Antes,  John,   111. 
Antonides,    Rev.    Vincentius,    33, 

157,  170,  177,  18.3,  197,  207,  210, 

211.   219,  256,   343. 
Armbriester  Gotthard,  137,  463. 
Armor,  Lives  of  Governors  of  Pa., 

333. 
Arnet    (Arent),    Jacob,   257,    260, 

283,  288,  316,  334,  340,  363,  395, 

476. 
Arnet,  J.   B..  260. 
Associated   Brethren,   111.   112. 
Augusti,  Corpus.  167. 
Aulenbacher,  Andrew,  284,  289. 


Authentische  Relation,  131,  353. 
Aweeg,    Gertruy,   25. 
Aweeg,  Jan,  25. 
Aweeg,  Margriet,  25. 

Baal,  Tobias,  293. 

Bakker,  John  (CI.  Dep.),  171,  174, 

175,  176. 
Bakker,  Rev.  Jacobus,  35. 
Balspach,  Peter,  276. 
Baltz,  John  George,  2-33,  234. 
Barents,  Anneken,  25. 
Bartels,   Sebastian,  25. 
Bartholomaeus,    Rev.    Dom.,    138, 

143,  448,  449,  450,  466. 
Bassler,  Henry,  68,  276,  342. 
Bauerle,   Jacob,  417,  418. 
Bauman,  Jacob,  242,  250,  293,  297, 

374. 
Baumann,    Matthias,    71,    86,    202, 

218. 
Bechtel,  John,  88,  90,  92,  94,  98, 

100,  106,  112,  115-119,  124,  242, 

250,  357,  358,  360,  361,  375,  376, 

378,  379,  382,  421,  422,  424. 
Bcchtel's  Catechism,  96,   106,   107, 

131,  359. 
Becker,  Jost,  112. 
Becker,  Peter  (Dunker),  85,  390. 
Beissel,   Conrad,  47,  85,  201,  390. 
Benezet,   John    Stephen,    121,    129. 
Bensel,  George,  112,  242,  250,  274, 

335. 
Berger,  John.   282. 
Berkenbeil,   John,   61.   169. 
Bermudian   (Adams  Co.),  124. 
Bern    (Berks    Co.),    53,    121,    124, 

278,  294,  377. 


492 


INDEX 


Berne  Synod,  102,  361. 

Bertholet,   Abraham,  111. 

Bertolet,  John,  91,  112. 

Best,   George,  293. 

Beyer,   Jacob,   283. 

Beyer,    Valentine,    234,    292,    316, 

317,   341. 
Bethlehem,   88,   91. 
Bethlehem  Diary,  97,  115. 
Bingaman,   Lorentz,   36,   169,   191, 

192,  210,  220,  284. 
Biographisch     Woordcnhoek,     39, 

231. 
Bitting,    Ludwig,     149,    476,    477, 

478.  479,  480. 
Blair,  Rev.  Samuel,  101. 
Bloemers,   Marritye,  25. 
Blum,   Frantz,   293. 
Blum,   John,   296. 
Boehler,  Rev.  Peter,  112,  113,  122, 

368. 
Boehm,    Anna    Marie    (Scherer), 

18,  146,  147,  470. 
Boehm,    Anna    Maria    (Stehler), 

8,   145. 
Boehm,   Anna   Maria    (daughter), 

145,  149,  476,  477,  478,  479,  480. 
Boehm,  Anthony  William,  8,  145, 

146,  148,  476,  477. 
Boehm,  Clement  Lewis,  3. 
Boehm,  Daniel,  151. 

Boehm,    Elizabeth,    145,    150,    477, 

478,  479,  480. 

Boehm,  Franciscus  Ludovicus,  8. 
Boehm,  Hannah  Phillis,  148. 
Boehm,    Johanna    Sabina,    8,    145, 

149,  476.  477.  478,  479,  480. 
Boehm,  John  Christopher,  8. 
Boehm,  John  Daniel,  3,  4. 
Boehm,  John  Philip,  Jr.,  145,  147, 

148,  150,  470,  471,  475,  477,  478, 

479,  480. 

Boehm,   Margartha,   3. 

Boehm,    Maria,    3. 

Boehm.     Maria     Philippina,     145, 

150,  477,  478,  479,  480. 
Boehm,   Philip  Lewis,   1-6. 
Boehm's  Church ;  see  Whitpain. 


Boel,  Rev.  Henricus,  33,  170,  177, 
180,  183.  197,  207,  210,  219,  256, 
319,  322.  323,  343,  344. 
Bon,   Margriet,  25. 
Bon,  Peter,  24. 
Bon,  John,   112. 

Book    of   Common    Worship,  392. 
Bossen,   William,   112. 
Bouton,  Daniel,  147,  395,  397,  404, 

407,   470,  471,   472. 
Boyer,  Gabriel,  73. 
Boyd,  Rev.  Adam,  46. 
Brandmiller,   John,   100,   127. 
Brechbill.  John  Wendel,  233,  234. 

268,  283,  292,  316,  334,  396. 
Bruce,    David,    129,    130. 
Bruner,    Felix,    293. 
Brunnholtz,   Rev.   Peter,  66,  82. 
Bucher.  Dieter,  283,  287,  316,  340, 

363,  394. 
Buedingische   Sammlung,  99.    131, 

329,  415. 
Buettner,  Rev.  Gottlob,  92,  95,  97. 

102,   118,    131. 
Burnetfield,   344. 
Burckhardt,  Philip,  363. 
Button,  Frederick,  479. 

Cacusi,  280,  281,  '294,  295,  298,  377. 
Cafferoth,  Gerhard,  234. 
Cammerhoff,  Bishop,  130. 
Catskill  Ref.  Ch..  30.  42. 
Cent.  Hist,  of  Kutztown,  253. 
Cocalico.    65.    121,    275,    276,    281. 

290,  294,  295. 
Coetus  Minutes,  61,  136,  278. 
Collegiate      Ref.      Ch.,      N.      Y., 

Records,  155,  170,  177,  180. 
Colonial  History  of  N.  ¥.,  251. 
Colonial  Records  of  Pa.,  27,  236, 

246. 
Confstoga    (Canastocka),    31,    47, 

48,  62-65,  79,  98,  114,  203,  205, 

229,  235,  250,  251,  252,  274,  275, 

277,  281.  290,  294,  295,  298,  409, 

417,  418,  425. 
Confession    of    Faith    of    Boehm, 

168. 


M 


AP  OF  PliNNSVLVANIA,  SIloWIXC,  T IlK  LOCATION  Ol*  TllK  I'.KUM 


^^^nlj  W.J.H. 


REFORMED  CHl'RCHES  ORCAN  IZKD  I'.i:  l"t  iKl'.    rill".  Vi;.\K    I  73O. 


INDEX 


493 


Corwin,  Manual,  22,  156,  197,  260, 

339. 
Coventry     (Chester    Co.),     78-80, 

121,  124,  128,  130,  378. 
Cramer,   W.   S.,  History,  276. 

De  Bois,  John,  289. 

De  Huff,  John,  291. 

De  Turk,  Isaac,  217,  251. 

De  Turk,  John,  92,  94. 

De  Wees,  Cornelius,  23,  150,  477, 
478,  479,  480. 

De  Wees,  Christina  Elizabeth,  110. 

De  Wees,  Garret,  23,  479,  480. 

De  Wees,  Gerrit  Hendricks,  22. 

De  Wees,  William,  22,  25,  33,  35, 
36,  58,  59,  110,  169,  170,  179,  182, 
191,  257,  261,  284,  292,  316,  340, 
363,  395,  404,  415,  422,  430. 

Diemer,  Dr.  John  Jacob,  43,  50, 
56,  72,  209,  235,  236,  270,  271,  315, 
316,  322,  336,  392,  410. 

Diffenbach,   Adam,  68,   386. 

Diffenderffer,  German  Ivimigra- 
tion,  20,  287. 

Dilbeck,  Isaac,  21,  22,  25,  36,  169, 
191. 

Dill  (Diel),  John  Michel,  234, 
292,  316,  334.  341,  395,  407. 

Dintenmeyer,  Johannes,  257. 

Doc.  Hist,  of  N.   Y.,  251. 

Dolpihacken ;  see  Tulpehocken. 

Donegal.    121,    124,   128. 

Dorr,   Peter,  276. 

Dorsius,  P.  H.,  53,  54-57,  74,  77, 
88,  134,  259.  262,  264,  269,  270, 
272,  282,  284,  285,  286,  288,  294, 
296,  297,  299,  300,  302,  315,  317, 
318,  321,  322,  324-327,  336,  338- 
340,  342,  370,  373,  386,  387-388, 
390,  391,  392,  396,  397,  405,  406, 
410,  419,  420,  424,  425,  429.  453. 

Dotterer,  George  Philip,  61,  169, 
209. 

Dotterer,  H.  S.,  Dotterer  Famil\. 
169. 

Dotterer,  H.  S.,  Historical  Notes, 
21,  22,  23,  24,  32,  61,  81,  112,  199. 


449. 
Dotterer,       H.       S.,       Perkiomen 

Region,  21,  26,  47,  109,  111,  246, 

252,  277,  287,  338,  409,  449. 
Dotterer,  H.  S.,  Rev.  J.  P.  Boehm, 

148,  366. 
Dotterer,      H.      S.,      Whitevmrsh 

Cong.,  81. 
Dotterer,  H.  S.,  Mss.,  237. 
Drinktenhengst,  Johannes,  257,  283, 

340,  363,  394. 
Druckenmiiller,      Sebastian,      479, 

480. 
Du  Bois,  Rev.  Gualtherus,  33,  170, 

177,  183,  197,  207,  211,  219,  256, 

343,  344. 
Dubbs,  J.  H.,  Earliest  Ref.  Ch.,  81. 
Dubbs,  J.  H.,  Hist,  of  Ref.   Ch., 

151. 
Dubbs,  J.   H.,  Manual,  151. 
Dubbs,  J.  H.,  Ref.  Ch.  in  Pa.,  22, 

45,  97,  151,  254,  354,  375,  449. 
Dunkel,  John,  283,  316,  340,  363, 

394. 
Dunkers,  84,  85,  94,  95,  200,  239, 

243,  390. 
Dunkers,  Seventh  Day,  47,  50,  65, 

85,  91,  94,  95,  105,  161,  201,  239, 

243,  275,  354,  375,  390,  410,  462. 

Earl  Township,  121,  124. 
Eberhard,  Michael,  293. 
Ecclesiastical   Records    of  N.    Y., 

34,   57,    155,   163,   170,   174,   176, 

177,  180,  218,  220,  222,  223,  226, 

325,  328,  344,  418,  419. 
Eschenbach,  Andrew,  89,  92,  95,  97, 

98,  112. 
Eckstein,  John   (Separatist),  87. 
Egle,  Hist,  of  Leb.  Co.,  69. 
Egypt,  53,  77-79,  139,  278,  294,  469. 
En'dt,  Theobald.  92,  362,  475. 
Ephrata,    48,    64,   85,    94,   95,    101, 

105. 
Ephrata    Chronicle,    67,    47,    158, 

201,  202,  275,  354. 
Ewig,  John  Niclas,  234,  268,  283, 

363,  407. 


494 


INDEX 


Falkenstein,  Baptist  Brethren,  201. 

Falkner,  Daniel,  86. 

Falkner,  Rev.  Justus,  24. 

Falkner  Swamp,  28,  29,  58,  61,  75, 
109,  138,  139,  155,  160,  190,  215, 
238,  250,  251,  254,  257,  260,  264, 
272,  281,  282,  283,  294,  295,  297, 
305,  316,  337,  340,  398,  399,  409, 
413,  425,  430,  449,  450,  457,  460, 
461,  466,  469. 

Faust,  Albert  B.,  German  Ele- 
ment,  86. 

Feder,  Johann   Michel,  234, 

Feree,   Daniel,  251. 

Fidler,  Gottfried,  48,  354. 

Fischer,   Herman,  293. 

Fluck,  History,  81. 

Fohrer,  John,  289,  316,  364. 

Frack,    Jacob,   338. 

Frederick,   Henry,  250. 

Frederickfields,  John,   218. 

Frederick  Township,  114. 

Frelinghuysen,  Rev.  Theo.  J.,  54, 
156,  157,  194,  325,  419. 

Frenler,  Jost,  291. 

Fresenius,  Nachrichtcn,  6Q,  83,  84, 
87,  91,  93,  94,  97,  98,  100,  106, 
108,  110,  111,  114,  131,  147,  319, 
354,  366,  382,  384,  417. 

Fresenius,  Sammlungcn,  78,  436. 

Frey,  Andrew,  92,  95.  112. 

Frey,  Conrad,  21. 

Frey,   Henry,    21.    112. 

Frey.  William,  112. 

Froelich,  Hans  Michel,  209. 

Fry,  History,  354. 

Frymuth,  Rev.  J.  C,  163,  339. 

Gagnschi ;   see  Cacusi. 
Gaul,  John  Ulrich,  233,  234. 
Gebbard,  John,  269.  283,  292,  407. 
Geiser.  Rcdcmptioncrs,  287. 
Gemelen,    Matthias.    112. 
Oerckes,  Antonie,  25. 
Gerhard,  History,   64,  81. 
Germantown,    31,    45.    46.    50,    59, 

72,  91,  96,  100.  121,  137,  140,  241. 

247,  250,  251,  264,  273,  277,  281, 


282,  292-298,  326,  351,  356,  357, 

360,  378,  379,  405,  406,  421,  422, 

430,  434,  460,  469. 
Gleim,    Johann    Michael,    76,    147, 

257,  363,  395,  470,  471,  472. 
Goetschy,  John  Henry,  51,  52,  58, 

54,  60,  73,  77,  88,  253,  273,  277, 

279,  280,  288,  293.  302,  324,  325, 

327,  338,  342,  410,  419,  447. 
Goetschy,  Rev.  Maurice,  51,  447. 
Gohr   (Gehr),  Johannes,  64. 
Good,   Rev.   J.   I.,   Early   Fathers, 

151. 
Good,  Rev.  J.  I.,  History  of  Ref. 

Ch.,  1725-1792,  41,  107,  151,  278, 

446,  458. 
Good,    Rev.   J.    I.,   Hist,    of   Ref. 

Ch.  of  Germany,  161. 
Good,    Rev.    J.    I.,    Hand    Book, 

151. 
Gordon,  Gazetteer,  252. 
Corner,  John,  276. 
Goshenhoppen,  31,  47.  53,  56.  121, 

123,  124,  140,  213,  215,  216,  250, 

252.  278,  279,  281,  296,  298,  325, 

338,  418,  419. 
Goshenhoppen,    New,    23,    47,    52, 

53,   77,   252,   293,   294,   295,   329, 

410,  424,  425,  439. 
Goshenhoppen,  Old.  52,  59,  60,  138, 

204,  278,  294.  424,  425,  430,  431, 

439,  447,  455. 
Great  Swamp,  52,  53,  250,  258,  278, 

293,  294.  295.  297.  298,  439. 
Greber.  Andrew,  293. 
Gref,  Sebastian,  283,  289,  864. 
Greiff,  Stephan,  233,  249. 
Griesemer,  Caspar.  73. 
Gruber,  John  Adam,  82,  87,  92,  98, 

101,   111,  114,  117.  417. 
Grumbine.    Tzvo    Dead    Churches, 

290. 
Guldin,  Rev.  Samuel.  92.  107,  274, 

421. 

Haak  (Haag),  John,  284,  289. 

Haberecht,   Gottfried,  95. 

Hague  Archives,  50,  57,  62,  72,  78, 


INDEX 


495 


125,  230,  231,  232,  234,  250,  270, 
272,  373,  397,  400,  405,  409,  423, 
426,  428,  435,  436,  438,  464. 
Hahn,  Michael,  352. 
Hain,  John  George,  377. 
Main's  Church,  280. 

Halleschc  Nachrichten,  new  ed., 
21,  354,  416,  424. 

Halsbrun,   Andries,  64. 

Hamilton,  Andrew,   415. 

Hamilton,  History,  89. 

Harbaugh,  Fathers,  97,  115,  118, 
143,   151,  446. 

Harbaugh,  Life  of  Schlatter,  70, 
75,  76,  78,  133,  252,  428,  435,  440, 
455,  456,   469. 

Hartman,    Lorentz,    234. 

Hassert,  Arnold,  246. 

Hautz,  John  Philip,  290. 

Hazard's  Register,  28,  45,  46,  255. 

Heckler,  History,  40,  59,  60,  81, 
191,   192,   198. 

Heidelberg  (Berks  Co.),  121,  123. 

Heidelberg  (Lehigh  Co.),  78,  294. 

Heidelberg  Catechism,  35,  76,  103, 
122,  135,  173,  178,  238,  245,  255, 
313,  354,  358,  359,  361,  369,  378. 
891,  404,  422. 

Heidelberg  Consistory,  30,  33. 

Helffrich,    Geschichte,  253. 

Heller,  Rudolf,  63. 

Heller's  Church,  64,  251,  274. 

Henckel,  Rev.  Anthony  J..  QQ,  215. 

Hendricks,  Marytye,  25. 

Herb,  Johannes,  257. 

Herbein,  Jonathan,  111. 

Herchelroth,  Lorentz,  291. 

Herthelroth  (Hergelrood),  Valen- 
tine, 68,  343,  386. 

Hermits  of  Wissahickon.  86. 

Herrnhuters.  348.  352,  358,  374, 
378.  380,  382.  427.  444. 

Heut,  Peter,  234. 

Heyderich,  Caspar.  234. 

Hildebeutel,   Martin,   338. 

Hill  Church  (Conestoga),  64,  65, 
274,  275,  276.  281.  291,  294,  295. 

Hill   Church   (Lebanon  Co.),  296. 


Hillegas,  Frederick,  30,  409. 
Hillegas,  George  Peter,  30,  31,  32, 

43,   71,   209,  216,  217,   233,   235, 

237,  322,  409. 
Hillegas,  Michael,  30,  32,  43,  209, 

216,  217,  235,  322,  374,  409,  410. 
Hist,    of    Western    Salisbury,    54, 

253. 
Hochreutner,  Rev.  J.  J.,  138,  143, 

439,  448,  449,  450,  466. 
Hock,  John  Jacob,  64,  88,  275. 
Holstein,  Henry,  112. 
Holtzbaum.  Andrew,  290. 
Holtzhauser,  Casper,  293. 
Horn.  Re-Union,  146,  151  . 
Host  Church  (Tulpehocken),  68. 
Houthoff,  Corn.   (CI.  Dep.),  171. 
Huebner,  George,  94. 
Huntersfield,  N.  Y.,  41. 

In  de  Haven    (see  Ten  Heuven). 
Indian  Creek,  54,  60. 
Indianfield,   138. 
Indians,  31,  95,  105,  121,  125,  126, 

127,  130,  218,  379. 
Inspired.  86,  87. 
Itzberger,  Jacob,  284. 

Jablonski,  Rev.  Daniel,  357. 
Jacobs,  German  Emigration,  251. 
Jordan,  John  Bechtel,  118. 
Jordan   (Lehigh  Co.),  78. 
Jork,  Johannes,  233. 
Journal  of  Prcsb.  Hist.  Soe.,  24, 

25,  26,  42,  54,  60,  74,  75,  81,  132. 

134,  142,  155,  158,  177,  180.  183, 

282.  349,  391,  429. 
Jung,  Deobalt,  209. 

Kaller,  John,  276. 

Kalm.    Travels,  458. 

Kantner,  George,  68. 

Kapp,  Martin,  290. 

Keiber,   Wendel.   32,   209. 

Keim,  Johannes,  217. 

Keith,  Provincial  Councillors,  245, 

317. 
Keith,  William,  Governor,  26,  43. 


496 


INDEX 


Kelpius,  John,  86. 

Kern,   Nicolaus,  77. 

Keyser,  Historic  Germantown,  58, 

274. 
Kind,   Adam,  257. 
Kintzing,  Abraham,  233,  234,  249, 

335. 
Kirschner,  John,  295. 
Kissel  Hill    (Lane.  Co.),  121. 
Kissel,  Nicolaus,  124,  128. 
Klamber,  John  Adam,  233. 
Klauer,  George,  61,  169. 
Kleim ;  see  Gleim. 
Klemmer,  Andreas,  233. 
Klemmer,   John    Henry,   316,   341, 

363. 
Knauss,  Ludwig,  36,  169,  191,  192, 

257,  261,  284. 
Knibbe,  Rev.  David,  54. 
Knoll,  John,  284. 
Knopp,  Leonard,  334. 
Kocherthal,   Rev.  J.,  251. 
Koester,    Bernhard,   86. 
Kolb,     Martin     (Mennonite),    94, 

139,  470. 
Kooken,  John,  112. 
Kraus,   Jacob,  283,   316,  340,   363, 

394. 
Kramer,  John  George,  233,  234. 
Kreutz  Creek,  123,  124. 
Kriebel,  Sclnvenkfelders,  86,  94. 
Kuhlenwein    (Newborn),  202. 
Kuntz,  Lorentz,  233,  234. 

Labadists,    156. 

La  Munyon,  De  Wees  Family,  395. 

Lancaster,    64,    70,    275,   276,   291, 

294,  295,  417,  439,  450,  462. 
Lonsdale  Reporter,  61,  81. 
Lawrence,  Thomas,  244,  245,  248, 

480. 
Layenberger,  Francis,  417. 
Learned,  Pastorius,  22. 
Lecolie,  Peter,  31.  71,  209,  233. 
Le  Dee,  John,  218. 
Leeman,  Christian,  257,  335. 
Lefevre,  Isaac,  251. 
Lefevre,  John,  26,  169. 


Leibi,  John  Fred,  283,  289,  364, 

Leibi,  Peter,  289. 

Leinbach,  John,   92. 

Lesher,  John,  73,  74. 

Lerue,  Jonas,   68. 

Letter  of  Warning,  103,  104,  111, 

348-365,  373-384,  390,  405,  421. 
Levan,  Daniel,  289. 
Levan,  Isaac,  289,  374,  377. 
Levan,  Jacob,  253. 
Levering,   Bishop,    Bethlehem,   88, 

97,  104,  120,  129. 
Lewis,  John,  76. 
Leydich,   Rev.  J.   H.,   61,   75,   138, 

139,  140,  449,  460,  461,  462,  466, 

469. 
Leyn,  John,  64,  291. 
Lischy,  Jacob,  64,  70,  79,  106,  119- 

125,  375,  376,  379,  412,  419,  420, 

439,  443,  444,  445,  461,  462.  463. 
Lischy's  Declaration,  122,  375. 
Lischy's  Second  Declaration,   125. 
Lock,  John  E.,  234. 
Logan,  James,  Governor,  336. 
Loskiel,  Geschichte,  126. 
Lutherans,  83,  243,  242,  415,  417. 

Maag,  John  Jacob,  292,  316,  317, 

341. 
Mack,  Alex.    (Dunker),  201. 
Mackinet,  Blasius,  112. 
Macungy,  78,  139.  250,  252,  469. 
Maier,  Thomas    (Lutheran),  367. 
Manatawny,   109. 
Mancius,    Rev.   Wm..    339. 
Matthaei,    Conrad    (Hermit),    92, 

93. 
Maxatawny,  53,  78,  250,  253,  278, 

280,  289,  294.  295,  298. 
Mayer,  John,  68. 
Meels,  Catrina,  25. 
Meels,  Hans  Hendrik,  23,  25. 
Meirer  (Mcurer),  Adam,  283,  288, 

340,  363,  395. 
Members  of  Ref.  Ch.    (Number), 

83,  242,  243.  250. 
Memorial  of  Dedication,  129,  380. 
Meng,  John  Christopher,  92,  242, 


INDEX 


497 


250,  274,  423. 
Mennonites,  84,  105,  139,  239,  243, 

246,  389,  448. 
Mercershurg     Review,     155,     170, 

172,  174,  176,   177. 
Merkel,  George,  112. 
Messenger,   Reformed,   8,    15,    65, 

69. 
Messerschmidt,   Rudolf,   234. 
Meurer,  Rev.  John  Philip,  101,  102. 
Meyer,    George     (Swatara),    290, 

326. 
Meyer,  George   (York),  123. 
Meyer,  Hans,  36 ;  see  also  John. 
Meyer,   Henry    (Tulp.),   289,   342, 

364. 
Meyer,  Jacob    (Falkner   Swamp), 

61,  169. 
Meyer,  John  (Skippack),  109,  191, 

310,  220. 
Miller,  Rev.  John  Peter,  44-48,  60, 

63-65,  67,  72,  88,   199,  205,  206, 

219,  242,  253,  254,  255,  274,  275, 

277,  353,  354,  375,  410,  462. 
Miller.    Peter    (Germant),    100. 
Miller,  Henry   (printer),   108. 
Miller,   Michael    (Tnlp.).   48,   354. 
Miller,  History,  354. 
Minisink,   339. 
Moravians,  87-88,  99,  372,  374,  376, 

379,  380,  422. 
Moraznan  Manual,  362. 
Moselem,   53,  278,  294. 
Montgomery,  Hist,  of  Berks  Co.. 

81. 
Moser,  Adam,  149,  476-480. 
Muddy   Creek,    65,    121,    124,   294. 

378.  309.  461. 
Muehlenberg,  Rev.  H.  M..  21,  m, 

329.   3-54,  .365,   367,  416. 
Muehlenberg's       ScJbstbiographie, 

Q&,  83,  131,  253,  329,  367. 
Muehlbach,  121. 
Mueller        (Miller).        Frederick 

Casimir.  74.  253. 
Mueller,  Felix.  276. 
Mueller,  Peter;  see  Miller. 
Myers,  Christian,  Jr.,  60. 


Nead,  Germans  in  Md.,  192,  283. 
Neisser,  George,  97,  104,  107,  108, 

383,  384. 
Neshaminy,   53,  54,  260,  262,   272, 

387,  388. 
Neuschwanger,  Christian,  210,  220. 
Neuzeholzer,  John  A.,  233,  234. 
Newborn,  71,  73,  86,  110,  161,  202, 

278,  279. 
New  Castle,  22. 
New  Goshenhoppen ;   see  Goshen- 

hoppen.  New. 
Nezv  York  Weekly  Journal,  218. 
Niemeyer,  Collectio,  168. 
Nitschmann,  Bishop  David,  87,  88, 

92,  95,  97,  119,  121,  123,  357,  858, 

376,  378,  379. 

Oberbeck.  Andrew,  283,  288.  316. 
3.35.  338,   340,  363,  395. 

Oellen,  Ulrich,  233.  249. 

Old  Goshenhoppen ;  see  Goshen- 
hoppen, Old. 

Oley,  31,  71,  73-74,  86,  91,  94,  98, 
110,  114,  217,  251  251,  278,  281, 
283  288,  294,  295S298,  377,  378, 
379. 

Orner.   John   Jacob,   233,  249. 

Ottinger,  Christopher.  257.  284, 
292.   297,   340,   363,   395. 

Palatinate  Church  Order,  453. 

Pannebecker,   Hendrik,  23. 

Pannebecker,  Frederick,  23. 

Pastorius,  Daniel,  21,  84. 

Pcnn  Germania,  71. 

Penn,  Thomas,  329,  334. 

Pennsylvania  Archives.  30.  49,  77, 
147.  218,  236.  257,  263,  334,  335, 
386,  394. 

Pennsylvania  Gazette,  101.  102. 
246,  333. 

Pennsylvania  German,  73,  81. 

Pennsylvania  Magazine,  129. 

Pennsylvania    Synods,   92-106. 

Pcnnypacker,  Life  of  H.  Panne- 
becker.   23. 

Pennypacker,  Settlement   of   Ger- 


498 


INDEX 


mantown,  21,   24. 

Peruh,   John   George,   316. 

Peters,   Rev.  Richard,  317,  365. 

Philadelphia,  31,  41-46,  48,  50,  51, 
70-73,  75,  101,  104,  137,  205,  211, 
213,  216,  222,  230,  235,  247,  250, 
251,  261,  265,  268,  273,  281,  283, 
291,  294,  295,  297,  316,  326,  341, 
350,  351,  357,  364,  366,  368,  398, 
399,  404,  405,  411,  413,  415.  416, 
428,  430,  431,  434,  435,  439,  443, 
451,  459,  460. 

Pietists,  161, 

Polhemus,  Rev.  Theo.,  22. 

Pott,  William,   112. 

Powell,  Joseph,   130. 

Presbyterians,  27,  46,  52,  199,  212, 
213,  214,  391,  396,  408,  446. 

Presbytery  of  Phila.,  53,  279. 

Providence,  74,  75,  138,  398,  399, 
430,  449,  460,  466. 

Pyrlaeus,  Rev.  John  C,  92,  95, 
101,  365,  366,  367,  417,  418. 

Quakers,  27.  157.  161,  246. 
Quitapahilla,  69,  121,  124,  130.  294, 
295,  296,  298. 

Rader    (Roder).   Adam,   287.   294, 

816,  340,  363,  394. 
Radner,  Michael,  420   . 
Rammerstberger,  John   S..  276. 
Raritan,  N.  J..  194,  423. 
Ranch,  Rev.  C.  H..  79-80,  92.  105, 

124,  125-127,  379. 
Ranch,  John  N.,  293. 
Rawle,  Equity  in  Pa.,  43. 
Rebenstock,  John,  24,  25,  36,  169. 

191. 
Rebenstock,   Sibilla,  25. 
Records  of  Presh.  Ch.,  45,  52. 
Recorder  of   Deeds  Office,   Phila., 

250,  ,332,  476. 
Redemptioners,  286,  287. 
Ref.  Ch.  Record,  65. 
Ref.  Ch.  Review,  31.  42.  79,   121. 

122,  209,  232.  233,  235,  236,  440. 
Register    of    Wills    Office,    Phila.. 


215,  216,  237,  246,  263,  287,  292, 
329,  395,  409,  410,  470,  471,  472, 
475. 

Reichel,  Early  History,  86,  89,  90, 
92,  97,  114,  124,  163,  372. 

Reichel,  Memorials,  91,  97,  112, 
118. 

Reiff.  Hans  Georg,  21,  32,  39,  198, 
209. 

Reiff,  Jacob,  32,  37,  39,  40,  41-44, 
53,  59,  192,  198,  205,  208,  217, 
227,  230,  231.  232,  235,  236,  237, 
239,  247,  248,  259,  270,  281,  300, 
301,  302,  304,  315,  316,  324,  327, 
328.  336,  345,  346,  392,  410,  411, 
414,  419. 

Reiflfschneider,  John,  282. 

Reiffschneider,  Sebastian,  36,  57, 
61,  169,  191,  257,  260,  283. 

Reimer  (Reymer),  Frederick,  287, 
294,  316,  338,  340,  363,  394. 

Reincke,  Register,  129,  192. 

Renberg,   Dirck,  24. 

Renberg,  Gertruy,  25. 

Renberg,  Michael,  24. 

Renberg,  William,  24. 

Report  (Berigt)  of  1731.  27,  41, 
159,  243,  301,  306. 

Ribertus,   Hans  Adam,  234. 

Riegel,  John,  68. 

Rieger,  Rev.  J.  B.,  42.  47,  49,  50, 
60,  70,  72.  88.  134,  135.  234,  235, 
237,  242,  249.  254.  277.  326,  334, 
343,  410,  411,  417,  418.  432,  438, 
439,  444,  445,  462,  463. 

Riehm,  Alartin,  295. 

Ritter,  Francis,  112. 

Roberts,  History.  78,  81. 

Rohrig,  J.  W.,  31,  41,  71.  209.  233. 

Roth,  Elistory,  61,  81. 

Ruetenik,  Pioneers,  151. 

Riipp's,  Names,  30.  49,  191.  192, 
202,  210,  216,  220,  257.  258,  260, 
266,  274,  289,  293.  470. 

Rutherford,  /.  P.  Zenger,  218. 

Ruttersham.   Arnold,  76. 

Sachse,  Sectarians,  156,  161. 


INDEX 


499 


Salisbury,  Western,  54. 

Sattler,  Conrad,  234. 

Saucon,  53,  77,  250,  252,  278,  293, 

294,  295,  297,  298,  339. 
Saur,  Christopher,  83,  85,  371,  420, 

475. 
Saur's    Paper,    6(3,    101,    140,    439, 

469. 
Schaeffer,  Barthel,  284,  342. 
Schell,   Martin,  316,  364. 
Schell,  Peter,  364. 
Schenkel,  Martin   (Newborn),  86, 

202. 
Scherer,  Johannes,  233,  234. 
Scherer,  Philip,  148,  284,  292,  316, 

340,  363,  395,  477. 
Schipbouwer,  Elisabeth,  25. 
Schirmann,  Simon,  326,  327. 
Schlatter,  Rev.  Michael,  44,  73,  75, 

78,   124,   182-135,    137,    138,    139, 

140,  143,  244,  329,  428,  429,  430, 

431,  432,  434,  436,  437,  439,  440, 

441,  442,  443,  445,  450,  455,  456, 

457,  458,  459,  465. 
Schmauk,  History,  24,  67,  354. 
Schmidt,  Christopher,  32,  209. 
Schmidt,  Joh.  Heinr,  257. 
Schmidt,  Jost,  43,  112. 
Schmidt,   Michael,   32,   216,   217. 
Schmidt,  Sigmund,  257. 
Schmiet,  Johannes,  234. 
Schnell,  Rev.   Leonard,  80.   129. 
Schnorr,  Caspar  Ludwig,  70,  385. 
Schob,  Jacob,  286. 
Schol,   Elsye,  25. 
Scholl,  Fred.,  293. 
Schoolmasters,  240. 
Schossler,  Heinrich,  233. 
Schuckert,  Zacharias,  234,  249. 
Schue,  Daniel,  290. 
Schiller     (Schuiler),    Gabriel,    25, 

35.  36,  60,  169,  182,  191,  266,  374, 

404,  476. 
Schwab,  Hans  Georg,  31,  64,  212. 
Schwartz,  Ludwig,  342. 
Schwartzwald,   124. 
Schweitzer,  Lorentz.  98. 
Schwenkfelders,  85,  87,  93. 


Sects  in  Pa.,  84-88,  239. 

Seidensticker,  German  Printing, 
420. 

Seiflfert,  Rev.  Anthony,  '95,  121. 

Seipel,  John  L.,  316,  341,  363. 

Selig,   John    (Hermit),  86. 

Selle,  Maria,  25. 

Seltenreich,  65,  294. 

Senck,  John  G.,  233,  234. 

Separatists,  87,  421, 

Servants,  Indentured,  286. 

Seward,  William,  112. 

S esqui-C cntennial  of  Boe Inn's  Ch., 
81,  148. 

Shamboh,  George,   150,  476-480. 

Shelter,  Bartholomew,  68. 

Shekomeko,  126. 

Shikellimy,  126. 

Singing,  282. 

Sigel,  Jacob,  43,  329,  330. 

Sigmund,  Bernhard,  233,  234,  268, 
283. 

Sitkovius,    Bishop,    357. 

Skippack,  21,  25,  26,  28,  29,  31,  32, 
37,  40,  44,  46,  48,  50,  52,  54,  58, 
59-61,  72,  112,  134,  155,  160,  190, 
205,  207,  213,  215,  216,  217,  220, 
222,  223,  227,  230,  238,  250,  251, 
257,  260,  264,  265,  266,  270,  273, 
277,  278,  281,  283,  288,  294,  295, 
297,  305,  316,  319,  324,  326,  337, 
340,  345,  398,  399,  408,  409,  410, 
411,  413,  424,  430,  455,  476. 

Smith,  Mennonites,  470. 

vSocinians,  161. 

Soller,  Philip,  257. 

Spaer,  Lanert  (Leonard),  36,  169, 
191. 

Spangenberg,    Rev.   A.   G.,  79,  86, 

88,  110,  111,  113,  117. 
Spangenberg,  Lcbcn  v.  Zincendorf, 

89,  131. 

Speiker,  Peter,  374,  476. 
Sproegel,  John  Henry,  215,  419. 
Sproegel,   Widow,  215. 
Staehler,  John  Mich.,  479,  480. 
Staels,  Casper,  25. 
Stapleton.  Hcnckcl  Memorial,  215. 


500 


INDEX 


Stapleton,    Memorials   of   Hugue- 
nots, 289,  290. 
Stauffer,  Christian,  60. 
Stedman,  Capt.  John,  258,  263. 
Steinmann,  Georg,  293. 
Steinmetz,   Daniel,  233. 
Stephen,   Peter.  210,  220. 
Stephen,  Ulrich,  60,  169,  257,  260, 

266,  283,  288,  316,  335,  338. 
Stieflfel,  John  G.  (Separatist),  87, 

92,  117. 
Stiettelfreindt,  irantz,  233. 
Stoever,  Rev.  J.  C.,  106. 
Straightforward  Account,  107. 
Straub,  John  Wm.,  54,  60,  88,  273, 

277,  288,  324,  334,  411. 
Strecker,   Elias,  234. 
Streeter,  John  Philip,  334. 
Strohauer,  Hans  Georg,  234. 
Strubel,  Frederick,  276. 
Stumpf,  Adam,  386. 
Swatara,    69,    121,    124,    128,    130, 

290,  294,  295,  298. 
Synod  of  Berne,  96.  98.  101,   102, 

369. 
Synod  of  Dort,  35,   102,   136,  178, 

238,  404,  452. 
Synod  of  Phila.   (Presb.),  52. 

Tempelman,  Rev.  Conrad,  47,  62- 

65,  69,  88,  418. 
Ten    Heuven,    Evert,   23,   25.   284, 

476. 
Ten  Heuven,  Gerhart,  23,  32,  209, 

284. 
Ten  Heuven,  Herman,  23. 
Tennent,  Rev.  Gilbert,  46,  54.  101, 

156.  325,  419. 
Thomas,   George.   332. 
Thonis,   Gosen,  257. 
Tobias,  History,  81. 
Tohickon.    138. 
Traxel,   Peter,  77. 
Treber,   Nicolaus,  291. 
Trexler,  Skizzen,  81. 
Tricktenhengst,    John,    283.     287. 

294,    316     (see    also    Drinkten- 

hengst). 


Tulpehocken,  47,  48,  53,  63,  66-70, 

106,  121,  123,  124,  130,  133,  205, 

250,  251,  252,  274,  275,  276,  277, 

278,  281,  294,  295,  296,  298,  316, 

326,  342,  379,  380,  385,  398,  409. 
412,  413,  416,  449,  450,  466. 

Tulpehocken    Confusion,    102. 

Ulrich.  John  Caspar,  234,  249,  261, 
263,  268,  283,  330,  344,  374,  386, 
427. 

Unruh,  George,  327,  364,  374,  386. 

Unruh,  Valentine,  68. 

Unpartisan  Witness,  107. 

Uttre,  Jacob,  233,  249,  334. 

Van  Basten,  Herman.  54,  200,  342. 
Van  Bebber,  Henry,  109. 
Van  Home,  History,  81,  331. 
Van  Ostade,  Rev.  Jacob,  230,  231. 
Vende,  Frederick,  381,  382. 
Vetter,  Reichert,  233,  234. 
Von  Thieren,  Rev.  B.,  66. 

Wager,  Peter.  332. 

Wagner,   Abraham,   112. 

Walter,  Jacob.  234.  261,  269,  283, 
317,  334,  363,  395,  396,  397,  404, 
407. 

Warwick.  121.  124,  127,  12^. 

Watteville,  Bishop,  130. 

Weber,  Christian.  112. 

Webster.  History,  156. 

IVeekly  Mercury,  20.  215.  246,  329. 

Weidler,  Michael,  64,  291. 

Weis,  Andrew,  283. 

We  is.  Jacob,  290. 

Weiss,  Rev.  Geo.  Michael,  26,  29, 
31,  32,  33,  37-42,  45,  47,  50, 
59,  60,  65,  70,  71,  72,  73,  88, 
134,  135,  140,  181.  182.  193.  195, 
196,  199,  203,  205-212,  214.  216. 
219,  221-227.  229.  230,  231,  232, 
236,  240,  243,  254.  259.  27.3.  274, 
277,  281,  300,  304.  315,  316.  327. 
328,  336,  344.  392,  410.  411.  430, 
432,  439,  444,  447. 

Weiss,    Rev.    George     (Schwenk- 


INDEX 


501 


felder),  85. 
Weiser,  Conrad,  48,  66,  82,  92,  126, 

353,  354. 
Weiser,  C.  Z.,  Life  of  C.  Weiser, 
Weiser,  C.  Z.,  Monograph,  33. 

354. 
Wenrich,  Francis,  68. 
Waller,  Hendrick,  31,  43,  71,  209, 

233. 
Wentz,  Jacob,   112. 
Wentz,   Peter,  26. 
Wentz's  Church,  26,  61. 
Werner,  Henry,  283,  289,  364. 
Werns,  Conrad,  64. 
Wetzel,  Jacob,  293. 
Western   Salisbury,  253. 
Whitefield,   Rev.   George,  89,    112, 

113. 
Whitemarsh,  21,  23,  24,  25,  28,  29, 

58,   59,   155,    160,    190,   215,   238, 

250,  257,  261,  264,  273,  281,  292, 

293,  294,  295,  297,  298,  340,  398, 

399,  408,  409,  413,  414,  423.  430. 
Whitney,  Mich.  Hillegas.  216. 
White  Oaks,  65,  294. 
Whitpain,  75-77,  135,  138,  145,  431, 

435,  456,  457. 
Wilhelm,  Jacob.  284,  289,  342. 
Wilhelmius.    Rev.    John,    37,    39, 

40,  42,  49,  53.  54,  240.  243,  259. 

261,  301,  302,  303.  311,  320,  324, 

387,  419. 
Wiegner.   Christopher,  86,   91.   92, 


93,  110,  111,  112,  113. 
Willauer,  Christian,  293. 
Wirtz,    (Wuertz),    Rev.   John    C, 

78,  89,  445f,  447. 
Wiellecken,  Rudolf,  233,  234,  316, 

341,  363,  395. 
Wister,  Casper,  68. 
Wohlfahrt,   Michael,   201. 
Wolff  miller,  Hans,  36,  191. 
Wotring,   Abraham,  78. 
Wuehrmann,  Henry,  316,  340,  363, 

395. 
Wuehrmann,  John,  283,  288. 

Yoder,  Johannes,  25,  202,  218. 
York,  121,  123,  124,  127. 
Yost,  Anna  Maria,  150. 

Zeller,  Henrich,  342,  364. 

Zenger,  Peter,  218. 

Zetel,  Jacob,  234. 

Ziegel  Church  ;  see  Macungy. 

Zimmermann,  Hans,  121. 

Zinzendorf,  Count,  70,  7'9,  82,  87, 
89-108,  113,  118,  119,  121,  127, 
130,  147,  253,  329,  350,  351-356, 
359,  364,  366,  367,  369,  371,  372. 
376,  378,  379,  380.  .381,  417,  420, 
421. 

Zinzendorf,  Nachrichtcn,  131. 

Zinzendorf,  Hirten  Lieder,  131. 

Zinzendorf,  Reflexionen,  114.   131. 


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